The President's Travels
Elliott Adams, Veterans For Peace President, takes to the West Coast to visit as many VFP chapters as possible, build relationships with other organizations, and of course participate in as many actions as possible. > see all photos here
Contact Elliott Adams - (518) 441-2697
As a final act on the west coast I was able to share the set with Grant Anderson on Public Access TV Channel 11.
Back in the Portland area I was able to join VFP Chapter 72 Executive Council meeting.
Portland
Mike Hastie took me to the intriguing Oregon Vietnam Memorial, it is arranged in a spiral of many acres.
Willamina Valley
Mike Hastie ad I drove back across the mountain and north through the broad Willamina agricultural valley.
Myrtle Point - 03 March 08
Ed and Colleen Poole put Mike and I up at their house; at the end of the road between the river and the creek. The morning sunlight lighted the mountain behind his house.
Bandon
The Chapter 141 gathered for a dinner meeting in a great little café. We talked about the problems of being activists in redneck country.
Oregon Coast
Mike and I left after breakfast for a beautiful drive through the mountains and down the Oregon coast in the rain.
Corvallis - 02 March 08
We had a great potluck with about 20 people, in Monine & Bob Stebbins' beautiful house.
Mike Hasties and I joined the Corvallis vigil which has been going on every day for 4 years.
Portland - 02 March 08
I left with Mike Hastie right after breakfast with Thorstadas and Watadas. Mike Hastie drove me around Oregon for the next couple of days.
Portland - 01 March 08
VFP Chapter72 had a special meeting of about twenty members so I could meet their members. We wound up discussing movement dynamics.
Portland
We visited the new Chapter 72 offices at the First Unitarian Church. The church is offering them affordable space and facilities in an effort to support their work.
We made a quick visit to the Peace Park, which was created and cared for by the Portland Chapter of VFP. You can even see it from the satellites, see maps google picture below. I wonder how many other peace parks, peace monuments, peace symbols are visible from satellites, if you know of any others let me know.
We had a breakfast meeting with a dozen organizers who are planning the NW Regional VFP Convention. It will be a great convention.
Portland - 29 February 08
Fighting the call of the sirens we made it to the weekly vigil at Pioneer Square, this has been going on for 4 or 5 years. There has been a continuous struggle over the use of amplified sound with out a permit - but it continues.
Bob Poteat and I arrived early enough for Harry Thorstad to take me up the Columbia River Gorge. It is beautiful country; a land of incredible waterfalls and gorges; gorges that called to us like a mythological siren beckoning us to give up our commitments and go hiking.
Centralia - 28 February 08
A night visiting old friends from many demonstrations the NcNutts. The trip to Portland, with Bob Poteat driving, started with a visit to the sight of their weekly vigil.
Olympia
We combined dinner, a meeting, and a recording for TV.
I had the opportunity to do an interview with "Barron" for www.GIradio.org
We stopped by the CTTV studios that serve public access cable TV. Bob Poteat was a familiar face to everyone in the studios because the Olympia chapter has worked hard to use this resource as a way to get our word out.
Bob showed me some of the places they have put up Arlington West type memorials. This is one of the sites that got the highest traffic.
We also visited the intersection by the port where the demonstration happened. This is a 360 degeree pan.
Robert Poteat took me on a tour of the war memorials around the Washington capital. It was interesting to compare them: WWI had the winged goddess of victory, WWII had an unusual sculpture that resonates in the wind The Vietnam had a variation on the Wall with an undulating top representing the ebb and flow to American life abruptly interrupted by a cut out of Vietnam. The quotes started with "To all my brothers and sisters who made it back. But never made it home." The Korean monument, even though it was built after the Vietnam monument, was similar to many other Korean War monuments using a sculpture of some grunts in the rain and a description of the war
Tacoma - 27 February 08
I opted to get some paper work done rather than tour the glass museum, despite the beauty of the object visible on the highway over pass.
Dave and Lynn Dittmore housed a gathering at their house, despite the attendance being limited by my last minute plans and many the conflicting events it was a fun gathering.
Gary Davis, Bob Poteat, and Dave Dittmore tag teamed to get me from Carnation to Tacoma. In we joined the vigil. It is at this location once a week, it is also held at four other locations on other days of the week.
Carnation - 26 February 08
From the vigil line we went to a potluck of small farmers held in this barn. It was a good example of people developing an alternative local economy, one that also provides healthy food.
Vigil line Mary Crane, Gary Davis and I joined the weekly vigil. It gave me the chance to talk to a young man who considers himself a conscientious objector about preparing his file in case there is a draft.
Duvall - 25 February 08
Gary Davis got us back across land and water in time for a poetry reading at a local coffee shop. The featured poet was one of our members, Mary Crane. The poetry was great. I also had time to talk to Gerry Condon about how VFP and the Agent Orange Relief Campaign can work together.
Port Townsend
The chapter came together for a wonderful lunch at a beautiful location. We talked about a topic of special interest to this chapter - the role of VFP in supporting issues often-called woman's issues, which are in fact everyone's issues. During lunch Gary and I saw our third bald eagle of the day. Port Townsend has hosted the demonstrators opposing the Indian Island weapons depot.
Ferry
To get to our next stop in time we took a ferry across Puget Sound, where many aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines are based.
Seattle
Gary Davis drove me in to Seattle to KEXP radio station to record a half hour radio show, which will be broadcast over 90.3FM on the Mind Over Matters radio show and will also be posted on UTube.com/Talking StickTV. As we walked in I looked and saw the space needle, lots of green colored corporate glass, with a roof full of antennas, all set off by the US flag.
Everett - 24 February 08
We met Chapter #143 in a cafe. We had vets from WWII through still in service. About 20 people came together. We were also lucky to have a local resistor join us and tell us a story of heroism.
Bellingham
Gray Davis drove me up to Bellingham to meet with Chapter #111. We had a bit to eat in the book store then went down stairs and had a lively discussion about the movement and what strategies might be more or less effective.
Seattle area - 23 February 08
For the next few days between Gary Davis and Mary Crane I was well taken care of. They passed me back and forth as they needed, housing me, feeding me, driving me everywhere, and introduced me to everyone.
Kirkland
Chapter 92 brought together the chapter and the entire peace community for dinner and Winter Soldier fundraiser. It was fun gathering with lots of conversations happening all over the room, over $2700 was raised.
Winter Soldier Fundraiser
Ukiah - 17 February 08
Bus Ride to Ukiah
Berkeley - 15 February 08
While I have met many of the Courage To Resist staff on this trip, it seemed useful to visit them in their office. We had time to think about ways to coordinate our efforts better.
San Francisco
A group that has a strong track record at grass roots activism but not usually an ally in the antiwar movement is Rainforest Action Network. I met with one of their national organizers looking for ways we can be or support to each other. While it was not planned, we spent time brainstorming about how to bring family members of vets together; all those millions of people many of whom suffer silently from living with victims of PTSD. This is one of the direct, but hidden, costs of war.
San Francisco - 13 February 08
This tour has been wonderful. Our chapters are much clearer in my mind now having visited the members in their neighborhoods. I am frustrated that I have not been able to plan the tour better; I missed some chapters, and am disappointed that I don't have more time for all chapters. It is astonishing how much time I have to spend just figuring out the transportation between and within all these new communities
Berkeley -12 February 08
The San Francisco Chapter meeting I planned to attend was postponed a week because the Berkeley City Council was hearing testimony on the issue of recruiting stations. At the demonstration I met several members of the San Jose chapter too. Unfortunately efforts to arrange an alternative get together with the San Francisco chapter fell through, but it was good being at the demo with them.
Santa Rosa - 11 February 08
Sharon Kufeldt, Vice President of VFP, met me at the airport and drove me up to the Sonoma Chapter's special meeting. Again we had an interesting conversation about VFP and the movement.
Flight to San Francisco
Flying up the coast I had recently driven down was fascinating. I always fly with a road atlas; I feel sort of funny doing it; but usually my seat neighbors borrow it before the flight is over. It helps me understand what we are flying over.
Santa Monica - 10 February 08
Michael Cervantes drove me back down the coast, above and beyond the call of duty, dropping me of at the Santa Monica Arlington West memorial. It was interesting to feel the differences.
Arlington West - Santa Monica
Santa Barbara
Gil took me to the beach early enough that the outside square of crosses was still being laid out. Needless to say while chapter members and volunteers work diligently setting up the display, I just talked. At one point while I was talking I became aware of the growing numbers of crosses being set up around me. The enormity of it all started to overwhelm me, so I had to step away from them for a bit. We gathered under their tent on the beach; a fitting place to talk with the Santa Barbara Chapter, the originator of Arlington West type memorials.
Arlington West - Santa Barbara
Los Angeles
Kathleen Hernandez and I went to the Whitefire Theatre to see VFP member April Fitzsimmons' one person play called "The Need To Know." It was very good. Anyone who has a chance to see it should not miss the opportunity.
Santa Barbara - 9 February 08
Gil and Joan Robledo were good enough to put me up for the night. That is, after serving us all coffee and ice cream with cherries on top when we arrived late in the evening.
Ventura
In Ventura we had a nice evening meeting with the city lights spread out below us.
Topanga
Besides putting me up and driving me around, Kathleen Hernandez hosted a potluck for the area VFP members and me. We had a lively discussion, much of it was about whether there was a way to escalate Arlington West or if is it better to find some other way to escalate actions. Michael Cervantes was good enough to drive down from Ventura, attend the meeting, and then drive Lane Anderson and myself up the coast.
Palm Springs - 8 February 08
We made numerous phone calls back and forth trying to find a way to coordinate our schedules and transportation so we could meet in San Bernardino or in LA. I am sad that in the end it didn't happen.
"The Valley"
We met for dinner with Jabar McGruder & Jason Lemieux of the LA IVAW chapter and the IAW Board of Directors, both of whom are amazing young men. It was good on two levels, coordinating Kathleen Hernandez with local chapter around Winter Soldier and connecting VFP and IVAW the national organizing level.
Santa Monica
Met with Mark Ruter of Orange County VFP. We met working together in New Orleans, and since then at many demonstrations including the green peace sign of DC.
Los Angeles
I met with Interfaith Communities United for Justice & Peace, which formed after 9/11. It was very refreshing and exciting to be with religious leaders who say - religious communities must stop blessing war and violence. We had a good discussion around how communities can work toward stopping war.
UCLA - 7 February 08
Kathleen, Michael Lindley, chapter 7 president, and I went to hear Steven Kinzer author of "The Folly of Attacking Iran" and Lt. Gen Robert Gard speak.
Topanga - 6 February 08
By nightfall I was in Kathleen's lovely place nestled in Topanga Canyon seemingly a world separate from LA
Los Angeles - 5 February 08
Kathleen Hernandez picked me up at the station. We had dinner with Peter Dudar and Sally Marr
who made the video about Arlington West.
We also looked at one of their sculptures of an angle. Seeing it
reminded me that so many of us have given up our lives to struggle against this
militarized imperialism that has gripped our nation
Oakland - 31 January 08
After many missed communications Will Covert and I met with Ken Preston-Pile of Pace e Bene. Even though I have known Ken for a number of years I was totally unprepared to find out that he was a vet. It was wonderful discovering that one of the preeminent nonviolence trainers shares, with us, the military experience. I was very impressed by the rigor Pace e Bene uses in certifying their trainers.
Left to right: Elliott Adams, Ken Preston-Pile, and Will Covert
San Francisco
In the evening we met with Starhawk who is an international figure in nonviolence as a tool for social change. She is now concentrating her energies mostly on sustainability and permiculture. Sustainability is not in our statement of purpose but it is something we all have to work towards. She mentioned Civilian Emergency Response Team which is a government program that instructs people how work with their neighbors to take care of themselves in emergencies; this is the start for basic grassroots organizing.
Left to right: Elliott Adams and Starhawk
San Francisco
Robert Manning, a VFP member, had organized a Molly Ivins Memorial and Blogfest with music prayers, speakers, poetry, and continuous blogging. It was in Grace Cathedral with soaring columns, vaulted ceilings, and rich resonation of sound. As so often happens bad weather made it hard for people to attend, but many could attend through the continuous web feed
San Francisco - 30 January 08
We had a quick tour of the Global Exchange and Code Pink office and were able to talk as we rode together to the demonstration in Berkley and back. I have a better understanding of how both organizations work.
Elliott Adams and Medea Benjamin
Berkley
Berkley is considering a zoning ordinance that keeps recruiting stations 600 feet from Residential District, public park, public health clinic, public library, school or religious assembly use. Medea was to have a debate with right wing talk show host Melanie Morgan but Morgan decided not to come. But Medea felt she should be there anyway, so we went. We had a nice little action in front of the recruiter's office with about 30 people and no pro-war people.
San Francisco - 29 January 08
We met with A.N.S.W.E.R, running through pouring rain to get into the office. We had a grand tour of their office - it is an action factory - spent time talking about actions in DC we had worked together on. We talked about how their work helping the immigration demonstrations brought more immigrants to the antiwar demonstrations.
Left to right: Richard Becker, Bill Hackworth, Elliott Adams, and Forest
Berkley
In Berkley, Will Covert and I meet with David Solnit, an activist organizer who worked on the Seattle WTO action in 1990, shutting down San Francisco when Iraq was invaded, and is now working with Courage To Resist. He is one of the authors of the new book "Army Of None, Strategies to Counter Military Recruitment, End War, and Build a Better World." We had a good discussion about the movement and strategy. When we talked about how we could better work together, Dave pointed out that VFP has been playing a critical role in the movement from the very start. We left with a new connection and hope for even greater partnership in the struggle.
Oakland
We started the day by crossing the bay for a meeting with the Ruckus Society in Oakland. It was good to see these friends again. The Ruckus Society is well known for doing direct action around the country in support of many campaigns. They are now making an effort to support the oppressed communities do their own actions. We met with Celeste Faison Outreach Director, Sharon Lung Project Director, and Adrienne Brown Executive Director and had a lengthy discussion about their training program and how it could be made available to our chapters.
Left to right: Will Covert, Celeste Faison, Sharon Lung, Adrienne Brown, Elliott Adams
San Francisco - 28 January 08
We had lunch with Cindy Sheehan and her staff, remembering stories from Camp Casey and the March For Humanity. We talked about her campaign and how she wants to be a strong voice for veterans and veteran rights. We got back together in the evening to watch the State of the Union address.
Cindy Sheehan and her staff, and Elliott Adams watching the State of the Union Address
San Francisco
Monday started with a meeting over breakfast with Nonviolent Peaceforce an organization that sends teams into areas of conflict to practice third party nonviolent intervention. Thomas Brinson served on one of those teams in Sri Lanka. At the meeting were, from NP, David Hartsough a founder, Joan Bernstein, North American Regional Coordinator, Jan Passion Strategic Liaison, and from VFP, myself, Michael McPhearson Executive Director, Thomas Brinson a new Board member and Will Covert. We all came away with a greater understanding of each organization and ways we can support each other's work. Possibly even forming a Rapid Response team from within the ranks of VFP that is trained by NP; is available for over seas deployment by NP but could work in the US at hot spots of conflict.
Far side of table, left to right Thomas Brinson, David Hartsough, Joan Bernstein; near side of table Left to right Michael McPhearson, Elliott Adams