I attended the Lt. Watada support demonstration yesterday.  There were many people there to express their appreciation for the lieutenant's brave act of refusal.

Olympia, WA--On Monday, July 3rd 2006 in Olympia, concerned community members from the surrounding Puget Sound region will be rallying to oppose the presence of a neo-Nazi group called the National Socialist Movement in our community.

The rally will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Tivoli Fountain on the capitol campus, with plans to conclude at sometime after 4:00 p.m.—the NSM has a permit to occupy the steps of the capitol from 2-4 p.m.

The Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace has played a central role in spearheading the organizing necessary for conducting the rally and we strongly urge other organizations to join us in seizing this opportunity to demonstrate, with a fundamental goal of building a sustainable movement working for racial, economic, and social justice.

 A broad cross-section of communities, including members of diverse ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and political persuasions will confront this group peaceably, utilizing various non-violent tactics, demonstrating that this type of behavior will not be tolerated, especially in our town.  The counter-rally is one of numerous activities the Olympia community has participated in, including educational workshops, outreach, and community organizing that numerous individuals and organizations have played crucial roles in facilitating.  

The direction and objectives of our demonstrations, as briefly mentioned earlier, are intended to affirm and celebrate diversity.  We seek to use this unfortunate occurrence, the rallying of a neo-Nazi hate group in our town, to create a celebratory afternoon of community solidarity, drowning out the negative message promoted by the NSM, forming an atmosphere of unity and compassion.

In an effort to build community awareness and forge a sustainable movement for racial, economic, and social justice, a panel discussion covering the intersection of race, poverty, and prisons will be held at Traditions Cafe beginning at 7pm.  This panel was organized by the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace, with the foreknowledge that a neo-nazi hate group, the National Socialist Movement, will be rallying in our town on July 3rd.  We invite all to join us for the evening. 

Update: I've been waiting for YouTube to post this all morning, but I have to be away from a computer for a bit, so I'm putting it up with the hope that the video will become available soon.

Second update: Well, I'm back and no progress. I heard a tease on the radio for a story on NPR about YouTube. I'm guessing that they were slammed with traffic this morning. Let's hope they get their systems moving again soon.

Third update: Finally, it works!

Olyblogger JanetB attempted to purchase Plan B at Ralph's Thriftway today and was refused despite the fact that she had a doctor's prescription. Witness:

Go to planboly.org for more information.

While the Olympia Outdoor Cinema has seemingly died a quiet death, the Lacey Outdoor Cinema is up and running this year with a five evening, eight movie season.

Yes, it is true, they are showing the first three Harry Potter movies on August 5.

July 8     
King Kong (2005)
Pre-show Lacey Idol Auditions*

July 15    
Madagascar
Pre-show Lacey Idol Auditions*

July 22    
Three Amigos
Pre-show Lacey Idol Qualifier*

July 29    
Bad New Bears
Pre-show Lacey Idol Qualifier*

August 5    
Harry Potter:
Sorcerer's Stone,
Chamber of Secrets, &
Prisoner of Azkaban

The 2006 mud races were quite a success with about 15-20 contestants, a good-sized audience, and no law-enforcement party-crashers. I noticed several people taking photos of our naked, mud-streaked bodies. I don't mind that no one asked permission, but if you were one of the photographers would you please send your photos to me at kawriver(at)gmail.com so I can share them with my relatives who couldn't be there? Thank you.

This upcoming holiday is an especially good time to work together on community safety. Predators often go after youth (and adults) who are drunk or high and attempt to lure them off into dangerous situations.

We can team up to make sure that everyone gets to their next location safely. We can help out anyone in need instead of turning away.

Every single one of us, no matter our age or anything else, is important.

Youth and Young Adults (YAYA) Media is a fairly new media education project for Thurston County young people sponsored by Thurston Community Television. Here's an opportunity to view the videos that these amazing young people have created over the past six months. Participants involved in YAYA completed three videos that will be airing on TCTV (cable channel 22) throughout the month of July.  If you don't have access to cable TV and would like to view these videos, please contact Jessica at 360-956-3100 ext. 114.

Dream the Dream

"Dream the Dream" was produced by youth and young adults for the June 2006 Dream the Dream forum.  Sponsored by the Thurston County Home Consortium, the forum focused on finding solutions to homelessness in Thurston County.
This fifteen minute video presents the voices of homeless individuals and advocates and shares hateful comments directed at the homeless and their supporters by local citizens.

AIRING ON CABLE CHANNEL 22

Tuesday July 4th                2:45  PM

Thursday July 6th               6:35  PM

Sunday July 9th                 12:30 PM

Wednesday July 12th          10:30 AM

Monday July 17th               8:00  AM

Saturday July 22nd             4:30  PM

Sunday July 23rd                6:30  PM

Wednesday July 26th          2:00  PM
 

Read more:

A pharmacist at Ralph's, Stan Berdinka, is taking a stand against the Ralph's Thriftway's inappropriate and backward emergency contraception policy.  On Monday and Tuesday of this week, three women (including me) went into Ralph's Thriftway pharmacy with prescriptions for Plan B, and not unexpectedly, they could not be filled.  What was surprising, however, was the response we got from pharmacist Stan Berdinka.  He told one woman that he considered the Stormans policy regarding emergency contraception "ridiculous," as he had many other forms of birth control containing the same ingredients as Plan B, lining his shelves.  When I went in yesterday, he apologized for not being able to fill my prescription, saying he felt "terribly embarrassed."  "They didn't consult me about this policy," he said.  "So I guess this isn't a pharmacist refusal?" I asked him.  "No, this is the owner's decision," he said.  He went on to tell me that he had phoned the Board of Pharmacy on Monday, and they were "very concerned" about what is going on at Ralph's.  I am sure they will continue to be concerned when we file our formal complaints with the Department of Health next week. My new hero Stan asked me if I was one of the organizers, I said yes, and he then told me we might see him on the picket line on Wednesday.  I hope we do.  Stan said all this knowing there was a video camera rolling.  I have a great deal of respect for his willingness to put his professionalism above his job security.  The Stormans made a good decision when they hired Stan, but a big mistake when they failed to consult him before setting their policy.  I hope we see Stan out there holding a sign today!  (Picketing begins at 5 p.m. and continues until 7.)

From Idaho Chooses Life:

NOW Seeks to Punish Store Owner

Abortion activists in Olympia, Washington have threatened to stage a boycott against Thriftway food stores because the owner will not provide so-called “Emergency Contraception