The March March, 2008, Portland, Oregon Pt. 1

Not feeling well, I almost didn't go to the march. Once there, I almost didn't stay.

But I persevered along with the rest.

Tom Hastings was handing out literature, saw me, withdrew his offer, and quickly moved on. For some sick reason (indimidation, maybe?), Peter Beregel stood beside me for a while. He didn't say a word. I didn't budge except at one point to get a better view of the musicians.

The Cops were cool this time, and I can tell folks want change and a few discussed with me the mass changes coming soon.

And off we went, through rain and hail at times. One older fella, when it started hailing, started yelling, "HAIL NO! WE WON'T GO!"

All in all a good event, and seeing all the people who want peace and not glory for themselves through peace, I was pretty happy at the goinz on.

This band was ON!Young Folks Ready to Take Over the World!

Chris Mc(Something) (sorry). Excellent hip-hop talent!

March 4th Marching Band

Iraqi Activst from Baghdad, Now in Portland

Lewis from IVAW

Ehren Watada's Dad and Step Mom

The Bells from this Steeple Started Ringing when we Started Marching

Reflections of World Trade 1

Reflections of World Trade 2

The March March, 2008, Portland, Oregon Pt. 2

People people everywhere!

Lotsa folks want an end to war!

"Zoo Exhibit" Inside Carl Greve.

"Zoo Exhibit" inside Zell Bros.

Folks!

More of them Folks!

Health Care, Anyone?

Lotsa Folks!

Oddly Well Behaved Cops!

Portland Also Loves Genocidal Maniacs (T.R.)

Says it all 1

Says it all 2

Waiting for the Train

Wanting it to End

They Didn't Rear their Ugly Heads!

From Disillusion to Hope

I don't mean to be a downer, or maybe I do, but I don't have a whole lotta good energy for the march about to happen.

I will be heading down there soon. I don't know, I guess I'm a little depressed about it.

What I hope happens is that my pre-perceptions of this forth coming event be shattered like glass and open the way to the passions I once felt for these movements. But all these years later, after getting up close and personal with some of these folks, after doing my best to find the realities behind these movements and the war and the governments etc., all I find myself is disillusioned and only willing to go to these events more as an observer, a social occasion, a photographer, and not a whole lot more.

There is a great song on the CD, "Dancing on John Wayne's Head," called "New Ways of Looking at Power." A woman talks of not only how women feel solidarity with their brothers in struggle, they also feel terrified of them because they see in them the same traits as those who have stolen our power. If these guys suddenly had the power, what is gonna happen to the women? Basically, the same shit.

What I have observed since the beginning of this illegal and genocidal war forced upon the world by King Dick and co-King George has been all sorts of little "kingdoms" and "empires" within the so-called peace movement.

I have been rejected by one faction of the peace groups that I had respect for because I refused to kneel before the cross of non-violence. I regularly bash the two local kings of peace, Tom Hasings and Peter Bergel. These two men have had more complaints from the women at large about the misogyny RADIATING from these assholes that never seems to get addressed until my sweetie bashed one of these bastards on Indy Media. Not to mention their racism.

I have praised and become disillusioned by the Black Bloc. As much as I admire these folks anti-authoritarian stances, I have also watched them stab their allies in the back. I have watched their anti-U.S. troop stuff, which basically seems to state they are OK with the killing of U.S. soldiers...but aren't willing to do so themselves. They will ask the Iraqi's and others to do their killing for them while they remain here...in the comforting arms of Portland, where there aren't any recognizable conditions of war to inconvenience their lives.

I talk with a friend of mine who is Maori and she tells me there is a lot of infighting within the Maori's tribal divisions. However, she tells me, when they are challenged as a people they unite quicker and harder and fight feircely for each other. I guess that is what I'd like to see come out of this thing.

But empire has a lot of influence. And many within empire want their own empires in one form or another. So, once this event is over, all I see coming from it is business as usual.

I know it is a shitty attitude, but I've been watching this game for far too long now. One begins to recognize play after play after play and it is so easy to predict when, where, and what will be done and the outcome. The outcome, of course, being absolute business as usual.

Here I am, not feeling all that well again, feeling rather disillusioned, but I'll tell you what gives me hope...the folks who participate in these events that aren't affiliated with the various empires of alleged peace. The folks who really WANT peace but aren't sure how it comes about. The folks. The peeps. Those with real desire for peace, not their own little fucking empires. Those are the folks that I Love. And they far outnumber the folks who belong to the various empires of peace. Those folks are where the real change is gonna come from.

Some Things You Just Don't Mess With

Many people like to co-opt pieces of Native life into whatever it is they are doing. This is some serious bullshit (see my "Truth" post). Many folks do this for their own glory.

Example: Tom Hastings, one of the local Peace Kings, calls his house "The White Feather House" and his community "The White Feather Community." White Feather, also known as Larry Cloud Morgan (Anninishinabe), was arrested in 1984 after he and a bunch of other folks smashed the lid to a Minuteman Missile launchpad site. When someone is not Native and uses a Native's name, there is a certain protocol. You ask the family. You are connecting yourselves to that family so you have to ask their permission. Tom has never done this. This is called Co-optation and is extremely disrespectful. Tom, of course, is not the only one, but I like talking truth about this disingenous bastard and his institutional forms of racism as well as his misogyny.

Now I have to tread carefully because there are certain spirit someones I fear offending.

Robert Greygrass does a great piece where he plays a spirit who had taken the form of many humans and helped a lot, too. This character talks about how they don't come around as much because the sacred sites had been destroyed, but they are still there. There are other sacred sites, however, where the powers are still powerful. Some sacreds aren't so easy to destroy. Some spirits still have a powerful energy that is respected by folks from many different walks of life. Many folks know this and they don't fuck around when it comes to these spirit types.

Shusli and I were at a cafe in NoPo yesterday, drinking coffee. She notices a poster about a Peace event (not the anti-war march this weekend) coming up in the future. She recognizes the style and all that. It is all she assumes since she has been a part of that circle.

I look a little closer and see an image on the poster. It is a painting. The image is of...a...certain spirit being whose energy is still powerful in this world. I almost yanked the poster down, I didn't care if the barista saw me or not. This was just too much and too wrong. Shusli encouraged me to wait until the barista wasn't looking. I decided not to by then because...hers...is a force you just don't mess with.

Shusli later sent me links to the artists website and a link to another painting she did of said spirit being. Holy shit! Hers is a power you just don't mess with and these artworks are incredibly disrespectful and the artist isn't even from that regions people. Some things you just don't fuck with. I have heard a lot of testimony from folks who had and pretty much all have paid for that. I'm sure these folks will be payin' too. Some things you just don't fuck with. Some things you have to be very respectful of.

Open Racism

Funny, I tried fruitlessly to get this on my blog yesterday four or five times from Youtube, and it would never come up. I come to my temporary residence to find it on my blog four or five times. I don't know what is up with that.

What I wanted to say along with this video is that I've heard many people of color say they are not racist and that they cannot be racist. This, they say, is because racism is defined as being a power structure and since people of color do not control the power structure by definition, they are not racist. I looked up the definition of racism on the internet, and I still don't quite get where these folks are coming from and what they are thinking.

So, if I, as a Flat Footed Red Nigger, were to say to a black man standing next to my car, "Hey Nigger! Get your big lipped crack smokin' ass away from my car," that wouldn't be racist because I'm not part of the white power structure?

Or, how about this one: "Hey! Slant eyed Chink! Get your opium addicted ass away from my car!" Is that not racist because I'm not part of the white power structure?

Or, how about this one: "Hey! Wetback! Get your car theiving burrito eatin' ass away from my car and go back to your own fuckin' country!" That wouldn't be racist because I'm not part of the white power structure?

Or, how about this one: "Hey you! Red Nigger! Get your alcolic unemployable shittin' in your own pants ass away from my car, you're gonna stink it up." Is that not racist because I'm not part of the white power structure?

So, if I'm incapable of being racist because I am not part of the white power structure, can I say the above things and not be considered racist?

I'm just askin'.

Bad Hair Day

Struggling through my lung stuff, I'd figure I'd scare the crap outcha all with a horrifying photo of my sickly mug sitting here before my computer in my temporary room.

TAKE THAT!

The Annual Report of Human Rights Violations of Other Nations

The United States recenlty released its annual report of the human rights violations of other nations. This gleaned from the Fox News article on the subject:

The study, published each year since 1977, offers a comprehensive analysis of all countries in the world except the United States.

Well, you know, the U.S. is NEVER gonna look at their own HORRIFIC human rights violations done here and worldwide. That might cut into the money of the already excessively wealthy who own this alleged nation. But I am gonna overlook that reports lack of "looking into the mirror at its own ugliness" and look into the ugliness of U.S. violations of human rights here, AND WORLDWIDE.

The U.S. report mostly targets China, one of the favored U.S. trading partners:

"The United States branded China an authoritarian human rights abuser Tuesday, citing alleged torture, state control of basic aspects of daily life, tight controls on religion and harassment of foreign charities."

There is a thing called complicity. That is, if you know a crime is happening and do nothing to stop it, then you are just as responsible for that crime as the person committing it. If you know your neighbor is raping his daughter and do nothing to stop it, you are just as guilty for the crime because you, as a human being, are required to take actions against such a crime.

The U.S. is a trading partner with China (80% of all Christmas decorations come from China). For the U.S. to point out the Human Rights violations of this nation is also to point the finger at U.S. complicity in those Human Rights violations. The U.S., in taking no action against these crimes and continuing China's favored trading nation status makes the U.S. just as guilty for all of those human rights violations as China itself.

Let's take a quick glance at this part of that article sentence: "state control of basic aspects of daily life."

Indians know about state control of our lives. We LIVE IT under the U.S. occupation. Just ask the folks of Pine Ridge who suffer greatest under this arbitrary crime and violation of Human Rights.

So now, Part 1 of a laymans observation of U.S. human rights violations.

The article I read states about China; "Forced relocations went up last year, the report said. It noted claims that people were forced from their homes to make way for Olympic projects in Beijing."

Did you hear that Cherokee folks? That's right, forced relocations are a violation of Human Rights. We'll go over that article later. I'm sure all of you survivors of Eisenhower's Termination Policies understand this violation in many different depths as well, huh?

So, here are a couple of Universal Declaration of Human Rights articles we'll start our discussion of U.S. human rights violations here and WORLDWIDE!

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 15 is very interesting especially in light of Ike's genocidal Termination Policies. The U.S. through the act of terminating Indian Tribes in the '50's they ARBITRARILY declared extinct, had the arbitrarily removed the Human Right of nationality from many indigenous nations within the occupied territories currently known as the United States. This is a CRIME, not only against Human Rights, but a crime of Genocide.

My father used to regret the fact he threw a letter away sent to him after the Termination Policy fucked over my folks. The letter stated, according to my dad, that he was no longer an Indian, he was now a U.S. citizen, and had the right to join the military and to vote. He'd already did time in the military and had been voting since being of age. Does anyone out there have similar letters or know of sources I can find links to them?

Our national identity as indigenous folks within the boundaries of the occupied territories is also CONTROLLED by the U.S. government.

These, and many other issues around this specific article, have seriously effected indigenous nations on OUR OWN LANDS by the illegal occupation of the United States government. There are more connections I can make, but why don't you all take a shot?

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Now here is another Human Rights violation that fits with Ike's Termination policies. As Indians we owned, as it were, property in common, or, in association with others. These lands were ARBITRARILY removed from indigenous hands. Many indigenous folks received money for this land, but let me make a metaphor here:

A man rapes a woman in a park and leaves her a $20 bill when he is finished. Does that then make it a business deal instead of rape? Is that woman then a whore instead of a victim and survivor of rape? Is that man then a John instead of a rapist?

So, in my opinion, the U.S. seems to be the GREATEST violator of Human Rights. Of course, the U.S. isn't going to write about it's own violations of Human Rights. Might cut in to the business end of things and of course, we all know, capital is much more important than Human Rights. That's why the U.S. will continue to do business with China, whom the U.S. alleges to be one of the greatest violators of Human Rights.

We are now open for discussion.

Truth

"...Pray first. Then fight. But for Truth. Not for Fame. Not for Glory, or the Game..." --Saul Williams.

Yesterday, at work, being jostled around in the truck all day put me in a very unpleasant place of pain all day long. Although I was feeling better without so much lung pain, after about 15 minutes in the truck, it felt like the skin on my back had been rubbed off with sandpaper. Suffering through this, I also had to suffer through my co-worker telling me how much he is willing to give up to the man, saying that he could be puking all over the place and HE would still come in to work. My only chance for any kind of respite throughout my day of work would be lunch when we got to Harrisburg.

Not having listened to the radio since about Corvallis, about 3 or 4 hours previous, my super tough extremely fantastic and know it all (in his mind anyway) companion decided it was a good time to hear the Irish Catholic radio station. This was a nice form of RESPITE BE GONE! I had to suffer through these folks singing about how they basically lay on their backs and spread their legs for some unseen saviour to have his way with them. Pardom me, Christian folks. I don't mean to offend. I also don't like folks attempting to shove thier religion or anything else for that matter down my throat without giving me a chance to decide for myself. This is called coercion. "Hi little girl. Want a piece of candy?" Don't think you are the only ones that do it, either. There are folks in the Native ways of life that do the same shit. Drives me nuts. I don't let them put anything in my mouth without my permission either.

Anyway, the Irish preacher comes on and starts talking about the book of John and some conversation Jesus had with some folks at the temple or something. They were asking Jesus who is dad was because they had heard it wasn't Joseph. The preacher kept on talking about the Truth. The preacher also kept saying that tything and going to the church and being good didn't mean you were gonna get on the good side of god. Only what HE himself believed was a good Christian was gonna be the type of person to make it into heaven. Was this the Truth? What did he mean by truth? That god was the father of Jesus because he went around Joseph's back and got his wife pregnant? The preacher kept talking about Truth, but never telling us what this truth actually is. Is he somehow privvy to it while we worthless lowlifes are not?

Reading Shusli's latest post about the Phoenix and her burning and rebirth from the ashes of her past in the alleged non-violent peace movements brought the idea of Truth back to the forefront of my mind, and maybe I was supposed to hear that asshole try to shove something down my throat I didn't want there. Sometimes, there is a reason for things. You see, Shusli brought up a truth not looked at within such alleged movements. This opened up a powerful discussion on the Portland Indy Media forum about the forms of violence within the alleged non-violent peace movements. Specifically, misogyny. Truth is, there is tremendous violence within parts of the alleged non-violent peace movement. But when you get to be king, or "dictator" as Tom Hastings put it to at least one of his classes at PSU, you get to define the terms of violence and non-violence to fit the purposes of getting those hot bodied female students to find your ugly ass attractive. Then you can play with their hearts and toss them aside at will. There has been so much testimony that I've heard directly and indirectly about both Peter Bergel (Peaceworker) and Tom Hastings and their treatment of women that I know pretty much that neither are non-violent nor do either one treat women with any form of respect, of course, unless they are kneeling before their greatness.

Shusli brought this to the forefront and posted it on a public forum, and victims of the forms of violence that have come out of the non-violence movement have come forward to discuss the bullshit that the self-proclaimed kings of peace have been attempting to shove down the throats of folks for many a year now. Shusli brought forth a Truth. Truth is that women have been taking these forms of violence from the self-proclaimed kings of peace for years. Peter Bergel's reputation for treating women like shit proceeded him many years before I met the offensive asshole. That's not peace. That's "I'm the great Peter Bergel, King of Peace, and if you don't kneel before me...I will make you pay, Bitch!" Truth is, he has made many a woman pay.

Shusli may have lost friends, but she has also gained friends, at least in spirit. So many folks have just been waiting for someone to open that door. So many folks I beleive have been "taking it for the cause" because they believe in what they WANT to be the outcome, but Truth is, if Peace won and these folks were kings, Holy Shit, I would hate to see what would happen to the women. "OK, you! Young hot bodied college student type wench. Come here and enjoy kneeling before me. Yeah...that's it..." Yes, I am trying to put something in the mouths of these alleged Peace types, but honestly, when all the evidence is in and honestly assessed, that is pretty much what it is all about for them.

Tom Hastings and a poet who visited Iraqi refugee camps and wrote a book of poetry did an interview/call in on KBOO radio's "Voices from the Edge" about these camps. Oddly, both of these guys are white, and ODDLY, there was an ACTUAL survivor of these camps in town who has lived in Portland for the last six months who was lecturing about these camps the next night. Having an actual Iraqi refugee camp survivor talk, however, is not as important as white men who know so much better than say...someone with dark skin and ACTUAL experiences. Anyway, Tom has been with a woman named Rhoda for about a year or more now. Rhoda quit or retired from her job of 19 years to help him work on whatever peace projects he has going. Tom...did not mention her once. Rhoda has made a actual sacrifice for what she believes in and with NO GLORY to herself. Although I hate Tom, to me, Rhoda is rather admirable, though my hunches are she is rather misguided. Rhoda believes in something and took actual steps in her life to follow up on that belief. She made sacrifices. She has taken chances. She is not receiving any glory nor any mention from the great king of peace, though she is probably a very important member of his team, as it were. And of course, if Tom actually did mention her, those hot bodied young female students just might not find his ugly face that attractive.

My wife, Shusli, is an amazing and very wise woman. She is very humble about this, and when I tell her and let her know that her voice, actions, ideas, wisdom, and so much more are appreciated, she feels rather uncomfortable about this praise because she doesn't do the work she does for personal glory. Truth is, she is very awesome and one of the most amazing people I have met. I am PROUD and VERY HAPPY to be her husband. Maybe that is some of the Truth that preacher man was talking about. Shusli has the power and wisdom to bring up some uncomfortable bits of Truth that people would rather stayed in the closet and could be used to further oppress women and minorities should the peace movement actually gain a grip on this nation. "Meet the new boss. Just the same ass the old boss," --The Who. It seems to me that the Truth Shusli is putting forth to you all out there on this near anniversary of the current form of war crimes and genocide in Iraq is that there really isn't a whole lotta difference between the kings of war and the kings of peace.

Thank you, my Beautiful and Wonderful Wife, Shusli, for your willingness to take personal risk and make statements publicly and openly about the truth behind parts of the non-violent peace movement. There are many honest, non-violent, peace types out there, but the kings of peace are out there for their own personal gain and peace is just a back drop in the great story of their lives. Shusli was willing to talk about this because she has SUFFERED under the hands of these folks. Not only has she suffered, but so have many others. So, with her admirable bravery in making herself vulnerable to a community that has many folks amongst them that she loves and that could possibly lose their respect, she has brought up a Truth folks don't want to look at but should. Shusli, my Wife, is one of my heroes. I admire her greatly and am PROUD to be her husband.

Undoubtedly the Kings of Peace will be marching in Portland this weekend. Remember when this war first broke out the people of Portland took over the streets. Shusli participated in the blocking of I-84. 2nd and Burnside belonged to the people. This weekend, will Portlanders follow the rules of the kings that own us and stay peaceful and quiet as thousands of innocent folks continue to be murdered here and abroad by our genocidal government? Guess we'll find out Saturday. The Kings of Peace, I'm sure, will be there and playing by other kings rules.

One last bit of Truth.

I was talking about the World Trade Centers with a friend of mine one day. He asked if I remembered that plane that crashed before it hit the White[man] House. "You mean the one that was shot down," I blurted out accidentally. He looked at me funny. He said he had a friend that was in military intelligence and the guy found out that it was shot down by one of our jets. I told him that I had a friend who was ex Army Intelligence. He looked at the evidence offered and concluded that the only way some debris could make over a certain mountain range is if the plane was hit by a rocket while still at altitude.

Truth, it's a funny little thing.

A Renewed Hatred for Mining Corporations

I went to the doctor yesterday, and she could neither confirm nor deny that what I had was pneumonia. My lungs sounded good, but the severe pain I was in was indicative of pneumonia so she prescribed some antibiotics and I feel improved this morning.

But the pain in my lungs, the pain it has sent throughout my body, the achy muscles, the pain in all of my joints, the pain in my head and throat, the pain especially in my lungs, gave me a profound new hatred for uranium and coal mining corporations and a profound new empathy for those who suffer the various lung diseases these types of corporations have MURDERED their employees with.

Correct me if I'm wrong, somebody, but I recall that it was known as early as 1947 that radon gas from uranium mines causes lung cancer and other diseases to the miners. However, if I remember my reading of articles on the issue many years ago as well as Ward Churchill's book, "A Little Matter of Genocide," that the corporations chose not to do anything or let the information out until around 1976. That is a whole lotta MURDER the uraniuam corporations have gotten away with.

I remember seeing a documentary about some Navajo folks trying to get benefits from the uranium mining corporations. Even though one gentleman never smoked a day in his life, the corporations chalked up his lung cancer to the fact that he was a smoker, even though he wasn't. You see, excessively wealthy folks need that money much more than somebody they are trying to MURDER.

I've only read a little about Black Lung, a disease caused to coal miners after years of exposure to the coal dust from the mines. I remember seeing photos of folks who were completely incapacitated, just laying there with their mouths hanging open, having wasted away to almost nothing. The coal corporations know what this shit does to their employees, but they don't care. That type of safety will take away from the bottom line. They have lawyers and lobbyists who are excellent at keeping any money out of the hands of their victims. They need that money themselves. Afterall, they are ALREADY excessively wealthy.

This is what I think should happen. I think that all corporate boards, their lawyers, stock traders, and stock holder in uranium and coal mines should be FORCED to stay in a room four hours a day, five days a week, exposed to the same shit thier employees are, should they want to continue to be a part of this type of game and make excessive amounts of money while MURDERING folks who work for them.

When I smoke, I smoke about four or five cigarettes a day. I smoke Girls Blend from Rich's Tobacco. I haven't smoked since Thursday. I am having no problem with it. It is a natural chemical free tobacco slightly moist. However, since I do smoke and can easily stop when my health or whatever is involved (I often don't smoke one or two days a week), I am considered as much a smoker as someone who smokes two packs of Marlboro's. Let me point out here that George Burns smoked approximately 5 Queens cigars a day since he was 12, and lived to be over 100. That said:

I have posted perviously about "Titanium Oxide" on this blog. This is a chemical used in what is called a burn ring on cigarettes. If you look at a cigarette, you will see that the paper is lined with rings up and down its length. That is to keep it burning so it will go out quicker and you will smoke more cigarettes. It also helps in starting house fires for folks who like to smoke in bed and fall asleep with their cigarette in their mouths. This, too, can be alleged to be murder, because the corporations KNOW that is what causes house fires when folks fall asleep while smoking. They, however, for the most part, keep that out of the equation when the discussion comes up once a year or so.

I also remember reading about the numerous chemicals used in these cigarettes, like the illegal Paraquat and the legal fermaldahyde. However, I want to talk about the sugars. Yes, not only will you get a fine sweet taste with your cigarette when you smoke into that sugar, but that sugar in smoke form is much worse for your lungs than the nicotene. What that sugar does is cut into the walls of ones lungs and makes it easier and quicker to become addicted to nicotene and cigarettes and doing more damage to your lungs than if you smoked something that wasn't cured with sugar. Tobacco companies who make cigarettes know this. Some 400,000 Americans die each year because of their addiction to cigarettes. To me...THAT'S MURDER! Afterall, the companies don't inform their customers of their knowledge of what the mix of sugar and nicotene is gonna do for them, now, do they.

Because of the SEVERE pain I've been in the last couple of days because of my lungs, I have a profound new empathy and sympathy for those who suffer from various lung diseases caused by the above mentioned corporations or not, and a profound new HATRED for those corporations and their lawyers, lobbyists, stock traders, stock owners, corporate boards, etc. Those corporations are GUILTY of MURDERING my fellow human beings so they can have a lot of money. And when my fellow human beings are suffering, they work hard on letting them continue to suffer by keeping any benefits away from their victims using lawyers that poor folks can't fight.

Here in the great city of Portland, Oregon, the some $240,000,000 won in lawsuits against tobacco companies went mostly to developer types who gave us that HIGHLY overpriced tram and office and condo buildings where doctors and such can easily get to their high paying jobs at OHSU. Health care for folks who have lung diseases caused by tobacco corporations using that money? I DON'T THINK SO! You know what those folks will do with the money.

Sick

I think I am probably the sickest I have ever been.

That's enough for now.

From Truth to Fiction: A Special Kind of Thief

As I sit here feeling like my lungs are trying to escape throught the ribs of my back and out of my throat, I have a 1:45 doctor appointment. So, since my energy level is well enough, I figured I discuss a little bit about a thief and a liar, which I have wanted to do since the story came out.

Margaret Seltzer using the pseudonym of Margaret B. Jones, tried to pass herself off as a part Indian who joined the Bloods in South Central LA. She wrote a book about her experiences called "Love and Consequences." She said she ran drugs for the bloods and received a gun for her 14th birthday. Come to find out, the thief and liar was actually raised in San Fernando Valley by her biological white family. Hmmm, whaddya know? She actually learned the stories she stole from her work at the Brother/SisterHood Foundation, where she came into contact with many gang members.

Now, it would be one thing if Margaret Seltzer interviewed these folks with their permission and put their stories in a book, because no doubt, they should be heard. But to say this is HER story makes her a liar and a thief. It is a different kind of rape. Let me give you some examples:

I, Shusli Baseler-Johnson, am writing a book called "Racism from all Sides" about my experiences with racism as a light skinned Indian from both whites and other Indians.

Or how about this:

I, Ridwan Laher, am writing a book called "My Apartheid," about MY experiences with apartheid South Africa, the consequences I faced struggling against apartheid, and my disappointment with the aftermath of the end of apartheid.

Sound compelling, don't they? Except one thing: Although I am familiar with these stories, I am NOT Shusli Baseler-Johnson nor am I Ridwan Laher. I am Eugene Johnson, sitting here possibly with pneumonia, waiting for my doctor appointment, getting pissed off about this story of a theif and liar.

How about this:

I [place your name here], wrote a book called [appropriate title here], about my experiences as [appropriate experiences here]...etc. Can I steal you story as well?

The other title that has come up in this discussion in the NY Times and Eugene Register Guard is "A Million Tiny Pieces," by James Frey. It is a partially fabricated memoire about his NOT experiences as a recovering junky. But let me tell you about another special fabricated lie of a book:

"The Education of Little Tree," by Forrest Carter, is what he described as a semi-autobiographical novel about his experiences with Cherokee life in the hills of the SE U.S. Turned out his actual name is Asa Carter. Then it came out that not only was Asa Carter not Indian, not only was he white as white can be, he was also a one time member of the KKK and participated along with 5 of his brethren in castrating a black man in 1956. But then come the worthless fucking apologists who say: "At least someone is telling your story." Uhhhh, yeah. Can I tell your story and make a lot of money off of it claiming it as my own? You wouldn't mind, would ya?

Besides, there is one helluva lot of Indians writing stories about Indians. Wouldn't you rather hear about it from Indians? Or does hearing stories about Indians from Indians stir up some of that worthless white guilt? I don't know. If you want to tell me, you are more than welcome to.

From my understanding, there are a lot of books out there about gang life by ACTUAL gang members. I haven't read any, but one that pops into mind is "Monster Cody," I believe that is the title. Or does it bother you reading about black male gang members from folks who have actually been black male gang members? Would you feel more comfortable if Margaret Seltzer wrote about it as her own experience?

You can write fiction. You can write other peoples stories as other peoples stories. There are many legitimate ways in which Margaret Seltzer could have handled this, but instead, she created a rather elaborate lie, bringing forth information and witnesses that all turned out to be lying for her as well. Maybe she was going to cut them in on the deal, I don't know.

So, Margaret Seltzer, you've earned one great big fat FUCK YOU from me and many others who hate story theives and liars. No doubt a lot of the ACTUAL Blood gang members are pissed off about this as well, though I can't speak for them nor do I know any. As well, all those assholes that participated with you in this elaborate lie have earned a great big fat FUCK YOU from me as well.

Moving Photos

The U-Haul

Empty Old House

Shusli Ready for the Move

The New House

The New Bridge

I Saw Lunch on the Way Home

My Land...MINE!

I Said...MINE!

Crow

Old House Neighbor Dogs

Our Old House Protective Dinosaur

Our Old Town...P-Town

Jawahar, Described as a Giant Teddy Bear Hamster and Ruler of the Roost at my Temporary Home.

Gaza

You all do know that what is Israel is doing to Gaza is a crime, right?

You all do know that making it a "holocaust" is an act of genocide, right?

You all do know that genocide is a crime that can get you hanged or can hook you up with powerful allies like the United States, right?

Let's see, super powerful heavily militarized state going after heavily weakened, depressed, oppressed, economically hard hit nation. That's like a parent that abuses its child then the child does something to try to fight back at age three, and thus the child is beaten within an inch of its life.

What Israel should do in my opinion is to get their boots off of the neck of the Palestinian economy. They should quit oppressing them and killing their families and destroying their ways of life and allow them to create success in whatever forms they choose as a people. In creating this enemy, Israel has an excuse to keep its excessive and genocidal military. They force Palestine into a weakened state and when they fight back, it is a good excuse to exercise that brute military force against a weakened nation and call themselves heroes.

Genocide, its not a crime if you're winning.

Going Home

Shusli has told me many times about her Love for the land. About how it draws her and calls to her and wants her back. I have greatly admired this in her. I believed I didn't feel such a powerful draw, until yesterday.

As I was leaving Reedsport and heading up the Umpqua River, I almost turned back. Number One, I didn't want to leave my honey, even if I did make a commitment to say good bye up here and clean up the house we are leaving. I Love Shusli so much that if any of you have never felt this kind of Love and always have wanted to, you are missing out, friends. And then I could feel the land calling me. It was like a giant hand had a grip on my soul and was begging me not to leave. I have been gone so long and now I am back home and I don't want to go.

Shusli asked me one time if my father wanted to go back. I believe he did. When my grandfather died, it was as if all family and indigenous connections had been severed and the Indians moved out of the area and to the Siletz Rez. There may still be Indians in Reedsport, I just haven't had the time to look into these things. Definitely the familial connections to the town had been severed with the death of my grandfather.

With the death of my father, most of my familial connections had been severed. My dad, I believe, wanted to go home, but his family was no longer there, so what was the point. And here I am, 43 years of living away from there, some 34 years of having no family there, am returning to just South of Reedsport to Coos Bay.

Saturday while unpacking, we heard a constant sound. Was it the freeway? PIR? The Airport? Excessive amounts of traffic? I-5? What was that sound? It was the ocean.

Folks, Shusli and I are going home. Although it is sad to be apart from her at the moment, I told her that after this month, we will be living a long life of Love and Adventure for the rest of our lives...together.

Thanks Portland, for hosting me all these years, but really, it is time I go home. What exactly will happen there remains to be seen. I have plans.

I also believe my good-bye here to P-town will be rather uneventful. That, however, is not a big deal. What is important is that the space I create in my leaving will have room to be filled and then some for any who want to do so...and many blessings to them all.