I unfortunately forget this woman's name. She is a LCC student who survived 3 and a half years of incarceration. She told a general story of prison life for women. Not a story you hear often, and is rather tragic, especially in women having access to their children. Quite horrifying stuff. Oddly, Indians didn't have prisons prior to the invasion and conquest. So if any of you reading this are able to help, do what you can to help out with women in prison.



In case you haven't noticed, the above four pictures are of John Trudell. Shusli surprised me when she came home from work with wanting to take me to see John Trudell speak at Lane Community College.

So, I basically skipped going to see Diana Abu-Jaber speak at Coos County Library. I still can't believe it, a class act like Diana coming to a podunk town like Coos Bay. I would have never thunk it. Then again, I didn't think there would be a Lebanese restaurant in this town nor a progressive coffee shop either. This town is full of surprises. I am really enjoying your book "Crescent," Diana, but I have to have my priorities straight (besides, I got to spend four hours in a car with a really hot nurse as well as got to hold her hand and do some shopping with her, too).

Back to John. Shusli and I have seen John more than a few times. We've also read a lot about him, watch his stuff on YouTube, etc. I really didn't expect John to say much that I haven't heard him say in the past...

WRONG!

John is full of surprises!

He was really quite goofy, and maybe quite high, but his voice rang through with clarities that have both Shusli and I thinking. Although we're not exactly sure what it is we're thinking, we are feeling different since seeing John last night.

I'll try not to ruin what he said too much, but we liked what he had to say about how civilization is resource extractive leaving much pollution and damage to our eco-system. Civilization mines human beings like resources leaving much pollution and damage that comes through in the form of fear, insucrities, etc., which helps manipulate us into enacting or enabling the continued resource extraction from our earth. Did I do good there? Sounds much better and is easier to understand when John says it.

He also mentioned how guilt sin and blame in the concept of "original sin," meaning you are guilty by the simple act of being born. This guilt is then used against us in getting us to believe in authority, others having power over us. We all pretty much know what happens then.

But the thing that caught us most was his reminder that we have power. Life is about energy and we are all energy. We have power to do something and we are creative. We have bought into a superficial system. Buying into it gives it our power. What are we gonna do with our power?