Tag Archives: Activism

Volunteer Project Profile: Animal Rights Investigator

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Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. ~Thomas A. Edison

The scene was beautiful, perhaps a bit too beautiful…

… and for some reason when encountered with such beautiful scenery people feel compelled to do otherwise ridiculous things. Some choose to drink neon colored drinks and yell vulgar things at strangers until they’re taken away by Mexican police, some choose to buy giant sombreros & T-shirts that say things like, “I’m in Cancun, bitch!,” and others still choose to get tattooes of their new favorite animal, the chihuahua, on their calves

…this isn’t a piece about any of those ridiculous actions though. This is a piece about convictions, persistance, dolphins, the mafia and standing up for what you believe in.

Sure. Sure. Wait. What?

“Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” ~Schopenhauer

She hails from Europe, but has been living in Mexico for quite some time now. She’s been a vegan for 15 years, and despite her thin frame one would never mistake her for weak. Unwaivering convictons if I’ve ever seen them.

“I think that once we started enslaving and domesitcating animals, we lost our humanity and gained the ability to enslave and domesticate one another,” she said calmly.

I poured more cream in my coffee, and nodded in agreement. How could I argue with that? I could do mental backflips to try to counter her logic. Perhaps we were enslaving people before we ever domesticated animals? Or maybe they’re not related events in human history? I couldn’t really say that though, they were related, in the very least symbolically. The way we are able to treat animals extends into the way we are able to treat humans. Fine. Agreed.

She was able to translate, practically seamlessly, her morals into action. The volunteer work she chooses to engage in while abroad was an extension of her life long convictions– in a super top secret exciting Charlie’s Angels kinda way.

The indifference, callousness and contempt that so many people exhibit toward animals is evil first because it results in great suffering in animals, and second because it results in an incalculably great impoverishment of the human spirit. ~Ashley Montague

I did say that this wasn’t a piece about ridiculous things that people do in beautiful exotic lugars, but really, it is.

This is a piece about people that swim with dolphins. Ever since Flipper stole the hearts of boob tubers everywhere there has been an explosion of people fascinated with dolphins, and with this fascisnation comes the desire to pet them & swim with them, possess them & contain them. And like anything else that people with money want, an entire industry is built around it. In this case it’s dolphinariums. Yes ma’am, that’s aquariums for dolphins.

Dolphinariums and the surrounding dolphin industry can easily be construed as animal abuse. In the wild, most dolphins swim hundreds of miles per day, don’t have a 9 to 5 job, and can live out their full life spans. In captivity, these intelligent creatures are relegated to stressful lives that lead to aggression, sickness and even death.

Unfortunately, dolphinariums are everywhere in the Yucatán peninsula. There are happy-go-lucky advertisements in hostels, at restaurants and on billboards inticing people to dive right in. Most people, I imagine, wouldn’t think twice about snatching up the opportunity to swim with their favourite sea creature during their Carribean vacation getaway. However, in reality, doing so only further contributes to their capture, trade, abuse & enslavement. How’s that for your love of dolphins, hot shot?

Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace. ~Albert Schweitzer, The Philosophy of Civilization

So yes, as we may recall, last week I was in the world famous Quintana Roo hopping from island to island and beaching like there was no tomorrow. Let me tell you, my tan looks excellent.

My friend, whom I had met earlier on my Mexican adventure, we’ll call her Sandy, has been spending her time in this world famous tropical paradise a little differently. Instead of sunning on the beach, she has been spending much of her time sneaking into dolphinariums, filming how the dolphins are treated, tricking people into telling her where they got them, and uploading her findings to the internet, where we can only assume her proverbial “Charlie” resides.

During my visit, she was doing all this AND working on the final report that she was to send off to the non-profit that supports her.

I bumbled into the Carribean during the high point of her investigation.

Now, not everything that she does is exactly legal. A little trespassing here, some illegal filming there, she could get in a lot of trouble for some of the things that she does, be it with the government or with the mob that controls much of the dolphin trade in the area. This means that I am not able to support & write about her volunteer work in the traditional way.

I will have to be a bit more discrete than that.

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. ~Voltaire

So yes, I wish I could tell you everything about how to get involved as a dolphin mafia chasing badass, and such, but I can’t. In order to protect the identity of the volunteers and the project, I can’t really divulge such informations on the world wide web, and as I spent more time with Sandy, it became clear that this volunteer project is not exactly for the weak willed.

Sandy is a self starter that sought out an organization in her area working in an area that was close to her heart. She dedicated her free time to the cause, and is working deligently towards the completion of a perscribed tangible goal. She is lucky enough to receive support from an umbrella organization to help pay for her travel & expenses, but she does occasionally have to delve into her own resources to continue the investigation. Such is the sacrifice of a dedicated individual.

It would be possible, I suppose, for such an effort to be self-funded, executed & broadcasted, with the right kind of volunteer(s). Such projects are happening all over the world for different sorts of environmental and human & animal rights causes. Exposing injustice is a dangerous job. I would classify this sort of volunteer work as a form of “activism”, she would call it “agitation.” I think it’s irrelevant what we call it, it’s unpaid labor working towards a positive end aka. volunteer work.

She’s an inspiration, pure & simple. A radical volunteer if I’ve ever seen one. Very impressive, Sandy, very impressive indeed.

 

 

How to Save the World aka. Where Should I Volunteer?

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In previous job and now with my current pursuits, I am often asked questions that I doubt many other people gets asked at all. Some beat around the bush and others get straight to the point. Essentially, in more or less words people seem to ask me, “How can I save the world?” I can see all their good intentions oozing out from behind their questions. It’s so sweet it’s sickening.

Chuck P quote

It seems common to express exasperation at the sheer volume of critical problems that we are collectively facing. Be they political, cultural, personal or environmental, each individual issue could potentially take a entire lifetime of work to make even a minutely visible dent. Wait, is that too discouraging? Well, it shouldn’t be, it just means that you do not need to save the entire world and no one expects you to. Now that’s a relief, isn’t it?

Both societal & personal growth are slow processes, and while a few brave souls can (and do) punctuate human history; they don’t change the entire world and no one expected them to. If you’re anything like me, you think that most things in this world are pretty messed up in one way or another. If you’d like to argue with me on that point, well, I just don’t recommend that. Yes, there are tons of people and organization doing amazing work, but they need to do that amazing work to counter the failed priorities of our current cultural norms.

Anyway, not here to preach, sorry about that. Since, I am regularly confronted with people looking to help, I’ve devised a way to help people decide what they should do as a volunteer, and in turn, how they can play a role in fixing the problems of the world.

The first step to helping another person become a better more productive & involved individual (i.e volunteer coordinate) is to listen, and since I am encouraging you to become your own volunteer coordinator, I am also encouraging you to have a short little conversation with yourself. I talk to myself all the time, and I can’t see you through the computer screen, so don’t worry about it…

Answer these questions! I’ll wait.

1. What do you for money?
2. What do you wish you were doing for money?
3. What are good at?
4. What do you wish you were good at?
5. What is the number one biggest issue that you’d like to address with your time?

Question 1: What do you for money?

The human race has had long experience and a fine tradition in surviving adversity. But we now face a task for which we have little experience, the task of surviving prosperity. ~Alan Gregg

Do you have a job that you love and fulfills your inner do-gooder, or maybe a job that takes most of your free time & makes you tons of money? Then good for you, you are most likely a a philanthropist! Most people in the world do not have the luxury of getting money for doing something that they love. If you are one of these rare people, than perhaps you can use your resources to make a very real impact on the world.

If this applies to you, but it isn’t exactly the answer you were looking for, than my guess is that your answer to this question is the not same as your answer to the next question…

Question 2: What do you wish you were doing for money?

My meaningless office job: they pay me for my body and mind, but my heart gets no paycheck and my soul pays the taxes. ~Carrie Latet

Maybe you’ve always wanted to be a zoologist or an astronaut or something with equally excitement and prestige. Perhaps you’re going to school or working towards your goal in another way. Perfect! This means that you already have a passion in mind and you should probably use your do-gooder volunteer free time to further your resume. How? well, that all depends on what you wish you were doing for money.

Perhaps your should volunteer at the zoo or at space camp? or maybe you have one of those awesome yet generic skills that nearly any non-profit could use, like web-design, photography, event planning or translation skills. If this is the case, I would suggest referring to your answer to Question 5, and getting to know an organization that works in your area of concern. Once you get a better idea of what the organization needs you can offer up your special skill, and see if you can use it to advance their mission. This brings us nicely to the next question.

Question 3: What are you good at?

The twentieth century seems afflicted by a gigantic… power failure. Powerlessness and the sense of powerlessness may be the environmental disease of the age. ~Russell Baker, New York Times, 1 May 1969

Maybe you’re one of those people that has answered the first three questions in the same way. “Duh Amy, I’m a carny. I love being a carny and I’m damn good at it to boot. What should I do to advance the world.”

“Well, my dear, you’re a carny, that loves being a carny AND you’re good at it to boot? hmm. I’d suggest organizing your carny friends to do an annual circus fundraiser for an organization. Or perhaps mentor an up and coming carny? or look into ways to make your carnival greener or something like that.”

If you’re one of those people that wants to make the biggest impact, and you know that you a particular skill that is useful, perhaps you need to find a way to use that skill to better humanity. I understand. Maybe you don’t currently make money doing it or don’t even particularly enjoy it, but you know that your inability to smell will make you a great orphan diaper changer or hands on trash sorter. Hey, to each their own! However, no matter the skill you’d like to contribute, make sure you get to know an organization before insisting that you are the best person to reorganize all their closets or rewrite all their speeches.

Question 4: What do you wish you were good at?

Most people are awaiting Virtual Reality; I’m awaiting virtuous reality. ~Eli Khamarov

Another way to choose the best volunteer for you is to decide what you would like to learn and pursue that avenue. People might just tell you to go to school and learn said skill, but that isn’t always possible. School takes time, money and commitment that you may not have, but volunteering can give you the room to learn and use a new skill while being community oriented. Perhaps you want to learn how to build a house, then volunteer with Habitat for Humanity or at deconstruction/recycled building service. Or maybe you want to learn Spanish so you set up free languages exchanges in a tiny fishing village.

 

The Humboldt Garden Collective is a great example of a volunteer project forcused on learning more and exchanging information on a particular topic. The participants come together because they have a common interest and then teach and show each other their skills to increase garden productivity for their entire community. The benefits are two-fold, if not three or four…

Question 5: What is the number one biggest issue that you’d like to address with your time?

The world is so dreadfully managed, one hardly knows to whom to complain. ~Ronald Firbank

And finally, we arrive at perhaps the most important question of the bunch. What is your passion? Where do you want to help? If none of the previous questions gave you any ideas about what to do, this is where you will need to spend the most time. Don’t be afraid of not knowing where to dedicate yourself, take time coming up with your answer, you will be a much better volunteer and be more effective overall if you are sure of your goals and know where you want to apply some positive pressure.

Often, when confronted with this question, people will respond with a story from their childhood or elsewhere that illustrates the importance of X, Y and Z. Perhaps growing up you saw an animal at a zoo that was losing its habitat or you read something somewhere about the end of oil, or maybe a friend lost their whole livelihood in a natural disaster, or you had a teacher or mentor that changed your life forever or something of the sort. Listen to that story, tell it to others, analyze what part could be made better or replicated with the help of some honest folks. Find organizations working in that area, organize your own project, do a fundraiser, you get the idea.

Dedicating your spare time to a single focused goal will ensure that you understand the problem, allow you to think outside the box and bring solutions that may not have been thought of before. Don’t rush it, learn from people already working towards your same goal, listen to advice and start by helping in the way that those in the field thinks would be best. Remember that you are most likely not the first one that wants to cure cancer or bring about world peace, and you’re not going to do it alone. What a relief, eh?

Now I wish that I had devised some sort of point system like the quizzes in all those “magazines for women” that clearly pointed you to where you should volunteer. Two points here, three points there, another five to top it off, “Oh look! I’m supposed help baby sea turtles in Guatemala! Que bueno! And I should date a Taurus, how convenient!”

Wouldn’t that just be grand? Unfortunately, there is no such test and even if there was, it wouldn’t work. One needs to consider where you live or where you’re spending the majority of your time, whether there is even an organization to join up with, or if you have the resources and the time to start something yourself. Think about your answers to the questions, I’m guessing you can figure out where to apply yourself.

This time, more than any, I’m interested in feedback. Think I’m missing anything? Volunteer to help me figure this one out, that’d be helpful.


 

 

 

Volunteer Project: Humboldt Garden Collective

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Prequel: Redwoods Inspiratin aka. Why I’m Still in Arcata (June 2012)

Growing gardens is not effortless or instant. Transforming the boring chemical fed lawn of modern suburbia into a lush & bountiful food paradise is no easy task. In fact, it is so daunting that most people never dream of having a lawn that can feed themesleves, let alone their family or community. Though, in reality, it is entirely possible.

Those in the biz call it paradise gardening. Okay, maybe they don’t, but I wouldn’t blame them if they did.

At the last work party, several of us were weeding around some raised beds chatting pleasantly as we worked. Around one o’clock the host squints up at the sun and declared that it was time to eat. He immediately switched from weeding to harvesting, picking kale, lettuce, onions, carrots and the like from the garden. Boil some pasta. Toss in some salad dressing and boom! you have delicious, healthy and a practically free dinner for ten.

Sounds good. Sign me up!

I can’t. It doesn’t really work like that, but I can tell you what I have been doing to advance towards such ends. For the last month or so, I’ve been volunteering with the Humboldt Garden Collective, wiggling my way into the group and figuring out how I can best use my skills to help their cause. I’ve never really been a gardener. I don’t have a green thumb. I’ve killed nearly every house plant that has ever come into my possession. I don’t know how to preserve food, or knit or identify plants or anything cool like that. I’ve never had my own garden, and a far as I’m concerned I may as well be a blank slate in this area. However, with each new event with the Garden Collective I become more and more convinced that networking among gardeners to make a more ecological and abundant neighborhoods is one of the better things you could do for a community. Growing food & medicine, reducing waste and building networks of mutual aid are only a few of the side effects of this kind of work. And despite my lack of knowledge, I figured that there would be something that I could help them with…

I started by joining some of their work parties. I weeded garden beds, harvested vegetables, planted seeds & ate lots of fresh amazing food. I met other members of the collective and learned about different ways to grow food in the area. But mostly, I listened. I listened to what they were hoping to create, how they planned on doing it, and how the collective was going to help fulfill many of their visions.

As it was (and is), members of The Humboldt Garden Collective call work parties at their homes and places of employment and work together to plan and implement new permaculturally inspired designs. There was (and is) a lot of energy, knowledge and potential within the group, but the organization was (and is) relatively young and they were (and are) still building momentum. I spoke with the organizers about different strategies that I have used in my previous work to grow programs and incorporate new participants, and offered up my skills in this area. Thankfully, they were happy to have a little help organizing all the new energy, and we were able to get to work right away.

To kick off my self-appointed role as a volunteer admin I made an on-line survey for existing community members. I wanted to get a better idea of what resources & expertise were in the group, how many gardens needed work and what people were hoping to gain by working with the collective. It was really easy, and anyone can do it using Google Forms. No mean to shamelessly plug for the mega-corp, but it sure does make gathering and organizing lots of information super easy.

I was stoked to hear back with everyone’s skills & ideas. I needed to know more about this thing that everyone was so crazy about. I started to read up on food production, permaculture, grassroots organizing and permablitz collectives around the world.

There was inspiration everywhere.

It was time to come together for a visioning meeting. We used the Facebook page to ask for a host from the collective and set the date. About 15 people showed up with a beautiful variety of dishes to eat, mingle, chat about gardening and find out where the collective was going. We had a facilitator, notetaker & time keeper — all helpful to keep the meeting moving.

We talked about the potential that the collective had and what sort of projects people wanted to work on in the future. There were so many good ideas! They had already set up a place to germinate seeds, store starts & produce extra to share with other members of the collective. They wanted to share a lot. People were offering up their skills, expertise, tools, plants & yards. There was also an interest in working with groups that feed people–like Food Not Bombs–to give back some of the abundance they’re creating. It was really great to be in a room of knowledgable motivated people all working towards relatively the same goals. In the end, we were able to decide on weekly projects for the month of October, including a few garden work parties, workshop installations, and a produce exchange.

I went to a few other meetings of local groups interested in some of the same things: permaculture, sustainability, food security, etc. I’ve learned quite a bit networking with other activists in the field. There is a lot of potential in this community to create a true paradise garden. Where the average citizen could walk down the street and pick all the fresh food they could ever desire–an apple here, some salad greens there. Where chickens and goats roam free without tiny dog collars providing eggs and milk & lawn mowing services to anyone that would have them. Where we are finally free from the onslaught of cheap processed industrial cancer food and can finally realize our full potential as the stewards of not just our yards, but the earth! Eden reincarnate!

Okay, perhaps, I’m getting carriedaway, but since making that survey, I have talked to and been contacted by people with expertise in nearly every aspect of sustainable living from cheese making to aquaponics. Frankly, its exhilarating. There is enough energy to keep the collective busy for the months and years to come.

So I, of course, in the midst of all the chaos & excitement, make spreadsheets to organize people’s ideas and start to plan out a season’s worth of activities. I also made that graphic above. I’ve always found it helpful to have something simple and easy to share digitally to drum up interest. There is another simpler graphic with the same information that is being printed in a local zine. As the details of each action get hammered out, we can do more outreach and see how many more people we can get involved. NBD.

In addition to the partnerships being forged with the local food banks and Food Not Bombs chapter, I really think we’ve got something going on here. I’m quite excited to see what happens and how much this little group of gardeners can really grow.

So Ya Wanna…

…Volunteer with the Humboldt Garden Collective

…Make a Garden/Permablitz Collective in your area

…Learn more about the Paradise Garden Movement

… Meet my new favorite thing ever! (see below)

Happy Gardening!

 

 

 

Occupy Portland: Meeting of the Minds

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The volunteer coordination committee was born underneath pop-up tent on a tiny green space in downtown Portland, and Jimmy? Jimmy was it’s father. He left his number at the information booth, and welcomed anyone with an interest in volunteer coordination to give him a call. To my surprise, many people did just that. Same idea. Same time and place.

You had to take off your shoes before you entered the blanket tent space. That made me smile.

We sat in a circle and introduced ourselves. There were a variety of personalities, backgrounds, methods & intentions gathered together in that cozy lil’ tent. Some people were experienced with this whole anarchy meeting thing, and some of us were still a little wet behind the ears. Note takers? Attendance? POCs? annagrams? Already!? Who knew?

After we sorted through the bureaucracy, we started to get to the meat of it: How to Organize Volunteers for the Revolution. I felt, and still feel, that a healthy volunteer program is a key element to a successful populous movement. We want everyone to be involved, right? People need to know how they can best use their energies and resources to benefit the occupation. It only makes it grow, each new volunteer is a new advocate for the cause.

Essentially, Occupy Portland needed a volunteer program, and fast.

My ears perked up, ‘Hm, I think I can help with that.’

I listened. I tried to listen. They had a lot to say. There was a lot going on. These people move fast. Everything was moving so fast. The camps were nice n’ full. The committees were all formed. There was even a volunteer application up and running on the web-site! How was that even possible?

I felt like I had a lot to contribute. I’m in meetings like this all the time.Well…sorta.

It’s a huge task. Occupy Portland was a round the clock, multi-program, high skilled volunteer event or festival, rather.  It required hundreds of volunteers at all hours of the day and night with all kinds of skills to do all kinds of tasks in all kinds of weather. Definitely not your average walk in the park.

My mind was spinning. Still is.  What everyone was able to accomplish in those two parks in in such a short amount of time was absolutely astounding. How does one even begin to try to coordinate such beautiful chaos?

#respect #solidarity #opdx

Occupy Portland + Portland Marathon: Part I

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My group of friends has been holding down a camp at the occupation . We’ve been carefully watching the movement to see where we would be of most use.

My opportunity to be useful came sooner rather than later. On the third day of the protest, the Portland Marathon had a permit for the very parks that we were occupying. In fact, the start and finish of the race was all around us. Runners were getting their finale picutres taken right up the street.

The whole city was in a tizzy. Will the Occupation ruin the Marathon? Will everyone end up ruining the occupation? The slanderous words were flying back and forth.

Fortunately, however, the general assembly decided that we would choose to work with the Marathon so that other members of the 99% could take to the streets as well. The plan? They were going to put up a fence around the park that we were in, and not let people out between the hours of 4am and 4pm. All other occupants would leave the premises, and march around, of course.

Really? You’ve got to be kidding me. Lock in a bunch of revolutionaries behind a fence!? Oh good god. This is not going to work. I could see the backlash already.

“You mutha fuckin’ facist pigs, you’re going to try to LOCK me down? You think you’re the mutha fuckin’ PO-Leeese? huh? Fuck da PO-leeese. Fuck ‘em”

And granted, I did hear that until about 4 in the morning. I got out of my tent several times and calmed down some drunk gutter punks. Apparently, I have skills in this area. Conflict resolution. Who knew?

Anyway, the volunteer cooridnator from the marathon came to talk to the group that was planning on staying within the fences. I was part of that group. He was answering questions about bathrooms, the lock down, the fences, and at the end he announced, “and if you want to volunteer with the marathon, come talk to me.”

As I expected, after the speech he was bombarded with people interested in helping. I waited carefully for him to hear them out, try to place them, and work on getting contact information and answering all their questions. Once he was able to catch his breath, I introduced myself as as a fellow volunteer coordinator, and I could see the relief on his face.

Ultimately, I volunteered to be the liaison between the volunteers of the occupation and the volunteer coordinator of the Portland Marathon. Perfect fit, if you ask me.

(to be continued)

 

Occupy Portland – Part I: The Great Camp Out

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Occupy Portland kicked off with a 10,000 strong unpermitted march through downtown, and ended in an occupation of the two parks in front the Justice Center and Police Bureau in the shadow of the Wells Fargo Building. I had a brought a large piece of cardboard and blanket to reserve a space. A tent, tarp and mexican food followed.

Occupy Portland @ Pioneer Square

We wanted to camp at the occupation to lend some legitmacy to the effort. If educated and employed young adults camped alongside people that didn’t have any other choice maybe people would recognize this as a legitmate movement and actually take the time to listen.

The effort definitely hasn’t been easy.

Most people can’t do this. They have families or jobs or whatnots, but they visit, drop off food, and ultimately help in the efforts. It takes a village.

So, to say the least, there has been a change of plans. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll use my volunteer time to help the Occupy Movement. Finding out how I can be most helpful will definitely prove to be a challenge, but this is a lesson for anyone trying to get involved with a small overworked non-profit. Sometimes an organization doesn’t have the structure or capacity to handle the good intentions of everyone that walks through its proverbial doors.

The Occupy Movement, however, is aiming to do just that. It seeks to use the energy, power & skills of every sympathizer to send a message to those with the power & know how that the average American is pissed. We’ve been ripped off and screwed over in far too many ways for far too long. How to help send that message is a whole ‘nother story. Extreme volunteering. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Occupy Wall Street: Activism as Volunteer Work

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As you can imagine, I’ve been watching the Occupy Wall Street protests in downtown New York, and it got me to thinking about activism as a form of volunteerism. Perhaps they are one in the same–two beasts from the same bushel. Donating your time to benefit the common good. Sounds about right.

Unfortunately, when you really get down to it, a lot of volunteer jobs should be well-paid and insured government jobs or something similar. If we had a tax structure that supported the community good instead of corporate interest, we’d all be looking a whole lot better. Lots of our hard work and dedication would be rewarded with, what it should be, money. Or perhaps even better: our schools & healthcare would be paid for, and would be able to free up our own resources to become donors & volunteers.

I’d have to say, that occupying downtown New York for 12 days now is quite a long-term volunteer experience.

And as follows, my volunteer project for the next couple months will be: Occupy Portland - beginning October 6th. I’ll be there. I’ll have to see who I can gather. I think this is a group volunteer activity.

“activism is my rent for living on this planet” – Alice Walker

9/11: International Day of Service, Peace & Understanding

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“What have you bought into and how much will it cost to buy you out?” – Saul Williams

This past Sunday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11. You know that one time…with the planes, and the buildings and the terrorists, and stuff. Well, yeah. Nationally, we’ve been reflecting on how the events of that morning changed our lives both personally and collectively.

I, for one, remember being …well, skeptical. I couldn’t believe that people living in caves on the other side of the world ”hated our freedom” so much would take their own lives & others to prove it.

I still don’t really believe it.

Not that I’m in shock. Not that I don’t believe people could hate us. That seems pretty obvious. I don’t believe that we know what actually happened that morning. If the powers in our government did not have a direct hand in the event, they at least chose to turn a blind eye.

Sorry, just couldn’t help myself. Carrying on..

Anyone with any sort of political background knows that you only need one catastrophic attack to rally a population to nationalism and revenge.

And as expected, in the months after 9/11 American patriotism was hotter than ever. Flags were flying off the shelf like they were going out of style. We were scared, confused & on gaurd. Perhaps if we wrapped our bodies and our psyches in the good ol’ red white and blue, we would be able to protect ourselves from the judging eyes of the world.

Ripe for the pickin’. Indeed. Perfect climate to start a war. Send those well-meaning American boys & girls  to someone else’s backyard to “fight for our freedom.” Right. Sure. In the decade since 9/11 we used the event as a rallying cry for war & separation, a political poker chip for idealogical ends–invoking the tragedy as a reason to hate and fear others. It’s too bad really.

Fast forward to early 2009, the new body politic chose to rebrand September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Not a bad idea, right? Communitiy organization were challenged to create service opportunites to engage people on or near September 11th. I know. I was one of those “challenged organizations.”

They told us that, “service activities should honor those who died and those who have served because of the tragedies of 9/11, and include a time of reflection and remembrance.” Oh please. I don’t need to go into my issues with connecting 9/11 to our series of endless wars. That’s not the point.

The point is, I’m going to have to call their bluff on this whole “service day” thing too.  While I definitely support a day of service in lieu of another goddamn Patriot Day, this one is just some pro-military yea-America circle jerk. Uh, did I just say that outloud?  uh-oh. Yup.

Anyway, I’d like to argue that on this particular day, we should be focusing on global unity and understanding. Therefore I’d like to call (as if I have any power) for yet another rebranding of 9/11.

September 11th: International Day of Service, Peace & Understanding
IDSPU? hmm. OK. open to other name ideas, but you get the idea.
Boom. 2012.