Are we living in the dark ages? I just got the November/ December issue of "Community Values Magazine -- Elite Thurston County Edition" and was horrified to see blatantly racist images of stereotypical Native Americans that any Native person would be offended by.

Do people really still believe that all Native American people wear a plains Indian chief's head dress? It’s high time that the mythical, so-called traditional, Thanksgiving dinner meme, where Settlers and Indigenous people supposedly "shared" a meal, be put to rest. The picture is even complete with a stereotypical "drunken Indian."

This is absolutely shameful and humiliating. It is clear that these "Community Values" consist of conspicuous racism, history revision, and disregard for the dignity of local tribes and Native American people in general. Would it be acceptable to portray any other ethnic group, such as African Americans, or people of the Jewish faith in this light?

This publication, and it's supporters, the Tumwater Area Chamber of Commerce, Thurston County Chamber of Commerce, and Lacey Chamber of Commerce, as well as the participating businesses, and the graphic design studio, Atlanta based Pixelution Studios, should be ashamed. Beyond that, they should be held accountable for publishing this detestable image, which can only serve to further alienate Native peoples. It certainly does not encourage me to patronize those businesses.

Media reports of the Olympia port protests would have us believe that the protesters are a marginalized, but organized, few. That is not the case. People who oppose the war are in the vast majority, and our supposed leaders, such as Brian Baird, refuse to act in accordance with the will of their constituents.

When Baird refused to oppose the so-called "surge," he was not representing the will of Olympia residents. That is not democracy. The entire democratic party, elected in these past elections to put an end to this horrendous war, have not fulfilled their promises.

What are we left with when lawmakers disregard the demands of the people, when our democracy breaks down? What should people do when it's obvious that fascism, under the guise of democracy, has overtaken their government?

If we are living in a true democracy, the demonstrators at the port would not feel like they have to put their bodies on the line to let their lawmakers know they are serious about ending this war.

Baird, and others like him should be ashamed for not listening. He has created serious unrest at home as he bows to Bush in Washington.

As the war continues to perpetrate atrocity, and our news outlets tell skewed stories, people of conscience will continue to resist. I'm proud of these Olympians for contributing to the resistance to the war, and the corporate and elite interests that maintain it.