Traction » Peace

drink to progress, green your ride, and rethink “support our troops” (and vets)

Lanya — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:40:35 +0000

Hey Tractivists,

It’s been a hell of a week, and it’s barely half over!

Come out at Traction HQ tomorrow night and toast to progress! Then stick around for the film The Good Soldier, hosted by Tractivist and young veteran Jeremy B., and a conversation about U.S. military actions and policies that will change how you think about supporting the troops. RSVPs appreciated to soldier@getTraction.org and you can report for duty at 7pm @ 1018 Broad St.

peace mongers, good soldiers, and you

Guest Blogger — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:37:40 +0000

Tractivists,

When I got out of the Marines in 2004, I never thought that six years later I’d be struggling with PTSD, active in Iraq Veterans Against the War, or even need to be challenging the wars that are still going on – I just wanted to move on with my life.

When I was enlisted I wanted to be the best Marine I could be, but my own concept of what a good Marine might really be like in the context of militarism and also peace has significantly changed the last few years. With wars still going on in Iraq (yeah we’re still there) and Afghanistan, and now spreading into Pakistan and Yemen, maybe we could all be thinking a little more about what it means to serve and also how veterans transition back into our communities.

For a unique view on war, transitioning out of the military, and the complexities of military service don’t miss the film The Good Soldier.

What: The Good Soldier

When: Thurs, March 25 @ 7PM

Where: Traction HQ: 1018 Broad St. in Durham

RSVPs appreciated: soldier@getTraction.org

The Good Soldier follows the journeys of five combat veterans from different generations of American wars from WWII to the current Iraq War as they sign up, go into battle, and eventually change their minds about what it means to be a good soldier. Last summer at a meeting of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace, I had the opportunity to see a screening with the filmmakers and two of the soldiers in the film and it was so powerful I got a copy to share with you all.

With today being the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, and direct actions (including re: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) going on all over the country, I’m hoping y’all will consider coming out to view the film next Thursday, and afterwards discuss military service, how our society can better treat soldiers and veterans, and what’s (still) going on with the military actions here and abroad.

Peace,

Jeremy Berggren

peace monger, cool scarf lover, Tractivist

P.S. Upcoming Traction events:
Thurs 3/25: ReelPolitik presents: The Good Soldier soldier@getTraction.org
Sun 4/11: Learn to shrink your car’s carbon footprint: greenmyride@getTraction.org
Sat 4/17: Trip to new civil rights museum in Greensboro: gbo@getTraction.org
plus Spring means the Traction Outdoors group is back! Write outdoors@getTraction.org to be in the loop on hikes, swims, berry-pickings and more.

P.P.S. Check out Jon Stewart’s epic hilarious, spot-on parody of Glenn Beck last night. (Thanks to Tractivist Carole Bell for the heads-up!)

a moment, a day, a month — how much silence?

Guest Blogger — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:55:55 +0000

Dear Tractivists,

Today, September 11th, I’m sharing with you all a poem by Emmanuel Ortiz about war, remembering, silence, and voices.

But before I start this poem, an invitation:

In honor of the people who have died in violence around the world and as a result of September 11, 2001, please join Traction, Traction Action Fund, and the Independent Weekly next week for Robert Greenwald’s newest documentary:

WHAT: Rethink Afghanistan: film + discussion
WHEN: Sun., Sept. 20, 7 PM
WHERE: Manbites Dog Theater, 703 Foster St, Durham
TICKETS: $5 suggested donation
RSVP: rethink@getTraction.org

We’ll be joined after the film by Khalilah Sabra of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation NC and other special guests to talk about where the war in Afghanistan has gotten us and what we can do for the future.

Also, this Wednesday, please come to the second-to-last of our Mad Money financial skills workshop series — Planning for the Long Haul: Real Estate and Retirement (9/16, 6:30 PM, Traction HQ, 1018 Broad St., money@getTraction.org). Financial planner Greg Davis will walk us through long-term savings and investments.

And now, the poem:

Before I Start This Poem (excerpted)
Emmanuel Ortiz, September 11, 2002

Before I start this poem,
I’d like to ask you to join me

in a moment of silence
in honor of those who died
in the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon
last September 11th.

I would also like to ask you
to offer up a moment of silence
for all of those who have been
harassed, imprisoned, disappeared,
tortured, raped, or killed
in retaliation for those strikes,
for the victims in both
Afghanistan and the U.S.

And if I could just add one more thing…
A full day of silence
for the tens of thousands of Palestinians
who have died at the hands of
U.S.-backed Israeli forces
over decades of occupation.

Six months of silence
for the million and-a-half Iraqi people,
mostly children, who have died of
malnourishment or starvation
as a result of an 11-year U.S. embargo
against the country.

Before I begin this poem:
two months of silence
for the Blacks under Apartheid
in South Africa,
where homeland security
made them aliens
in their own country.
…

A year of silence
for the dead in Cambodia and Laos,
victims of a secret war … ssssshhhhh ….
Say nothing … we don’t want them to learn
that they are dead.

Two months of silence
for the decades of dead
in Colombia, whose names,
like the corpses they once represented,
have piled up and slipped off
our tongues.
…

Before I begin this poem,
You want a moment of silence
You mourn now as if the world will never be the same
And the rest of us hope to hell it won’t be.
Not like it always has been

Because this is not a 9-1-1 poem
This is a 9/10 poem,
It is a 9/9 poem,
A 9/8 poem,
A 9/7 poem
This is a 1492 poem.
This is a poem about
what causes poems like this
to be written
…

This is a poem
for every date that falls
to the ground in ashes
This is a poem for the 110 stories
that were never told
The 110 stories that history
chose not to write in textbooks
The 110 stories that CNN, BBC,
The New York Times,
and Newsweek ignored
This is a poem
for interrupting this program.
And still you want
a moment of silence
for your dead?
We could give you
lifetimes of empty:

The unmarked graves
The lost languages
The uprooted trees and histories
The dead stares on the faces
of nameless children
…

If you want a moment of silence
Then stop the oil pumps
Turn off the engines and the televisions
Sink the cruise ships
Crash the stock markets
Unplug the marquee lights,
Delete the instant messages,
Derail the trains, the light rail transit
…

If you want a moment of silence,
Then take it
On Super Bowl Sunday,
The Fourth of July
During Dayton’s 13 hour sale
Or the next time your white guilt
fills the room where my beautiful
people have gathered

You want a moment of silence
Then take it
Now,
Before this poem begins.

Here, in the echo of my voice,
In the pause between goosesteps of the second
hand
In the space
between bodies in embrace,

Here is your silence.
Take it.
But take it all
Don’t cut in line.
Let your silence begin
at the beginning of crime

But we,
Tonight we will keep right on singing
For our dead.

Eileen
war protester, optimist, Tractivist

P.S. Emmanuel Ortiz is a third-generation Chicano/Puerto Rican/Irish-American community organizer and spoken word poet residing in Minneapolis, MN. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota Spoken Word Association, and is the coordinator of Guerrilla Wordfare, a Twin Cities-based grassroots project bringing together artists of color to address socio-political issues and raise funds for progressive organizing in communities of color through art as a tool of social change. The poem can be read in its entirety at Scoop Media.

Join Traction at HK on J 3

Guest Blogger — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:22:31 +0000

Hey Tractivists

If you’re not already planning to come out to HK on J 3 this Saturday, this video will change your mind.

It’ll be great if we have a large number of Tractivists come out to send the message that Traction (and young people in general) are standing up for progressive change in NC. It’s also going to be a lot of fun and a chance to meet folks from progressive organizations from across the state.

So, get yourself to HK on J using one of these 3 easy options:

Carpool from Orange County

There’s an official group that is arranging bus seats and carpools leaving from University Mall: http://groups.google.com/group/HKonJ-OC/browse_thread/thread/c3b8a06a462c8b97/8d85edc04bfade69?show_docid=8d85edc04bfade69&pli=1

Or, email me ( cara@gettraction.org ) and we’ll meet up at Eastgate Shopping Center in Chapel Hill, near Trader Joe’s. Email me ahead of time to let me know know if you can drive or if you’ll be riding with someone else.

Carpool from Durham

Meet at Traction office (1018 Broad St.) at 8:40 AM; leave 8:45. Email me ( cara@gettraction.org ) ahead of time to let me know if you can drive or if you’ll be riding with someone else.

Meet up at Chavis Park in Raleigh

Look for the Traction crew (with Traction shirts and banner) on the playground side of the seating area. If you can’t find us, call Cara on the Traction phone at 919-Traction (919-872-2846).

Email me ( cara@gettraction.org ) ASAP to let me know you’ll be there.

See you Saturday,

Cara

Swim, eat, play, support the troops

Lanya — Mon, 28 May 2007 05:00:42 +0000

It’s going to be a gorgeous Memorial Day weekend. Come on out on Monday and enjoy two local treasures: the Eno River and the Traction community…

What: Memorial Day shindig
When: Monday, 5/28 starting at 1pm
Where: West Point Park (site of the famous Festival for the Eno)
5101 N. Roxboro Rd. in Durham

We’ll swim, eat good food, play frisbee and badminton, maybe sing too. So bring a dish to share* and a musical instrument if you have one. And kids!!

And because it’s Memorial Day, we’ll have postcards to sign to send to our troops to thank them for their service, and ways for you to come back after the 3-day weekend and put your shoulder to the grindstone to bring our troops home. (Opposition to Iraq is at an all-time high. We are not alone.)

RSVPs and volunteers make our day. Write to shindig-at-getTraction-dot-org (Go
ahead, make our day.) Same if you need directions or a map.

*Careful about food that could go bad in the sun — we don’t want any bad picnic incidents… Avoid those dishes or bring your own cooler.

See you Monday!

– Lanya

P.S. Whatever you do, please remember the origin of this holiday.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

H K on J: History in the making and Traction was there!

Lanya — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:33:26 +0000

Traction was honored to be part of H K on J, or Historic Thousands on Jones St., on Saturday.
Thousands of North Carolinians gathered in an NAACP-led People’s Assembly and adopted (by roaring acclamation) a bold 14-point progressive agenda:

1. High quality, well-funded, diverse schools for all children
2. Living wages
3. Health care for all
4. Government redress for the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898 and the forced sterilization of black women from 1947 to 1977
5. Same-day voter registration and public financing for elections
6. More funding for historically black colleges and universities
7. Redress for 200 years of discrimination in state hiring and contracting
8. Affordable housing and consumer protection
9. Criminal justice reform including abolition of the death penalty
10. Creation of an environmental job corps for youth
11. Collective bargaining for public employees
12. Immigrant rights
13. More funding for civil rights enforcement agencies
14. Bringing troops home from Iraq

Then we marched to the General Assembly and posted it there for our state legislators to see.

Thanks to Tractivist Robert S., who posted lots of H K on J clips on You Tube! Here’s one featuring several Tractivists on stage, including yours truly…

Traction represented well, with Dave, Celeste, Bria, Anne, Tamara, Brandi, Jim, Adam and many more among the marchers.

Did you take pictures? Post them to flickr and tag them HKonJ and Traction!

A time comes when silence is betrayal…

Lanya — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 06:51:36 +0000

“… and that time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.”
—Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year, Traction and the Durham Food Co-op add our collective voices to the chorus celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

Join us on Tuesday 1/16 to learn from our elders as we watch an episode of Eyes on the Prize, and talk with local civil rights leaders. We’ll watch Episode 10: The Promised Land (1967-68), wherein Dr. King speaks out against the war in Vietnam and embarks on a Poor People’s Campaign, calling for a radical redistribution of economic power.

Before the film, we’ll hear from some LOCAL civil rights heroes and sheroes, including R. Kelly Bryant, Jr. (pictured), who led a large-scale 1968 boycott calling for changes in welfare, housing, and employment practices in Durham.

And we’ll learn about ongoing civil rights work, including the VERY exciting NC NAACP-led People’s Assembly known as H K on J (Historic Thousands on Jones St.), coming up on Feb 10th in Raleigh.

“… We are dealing with issues that cannot be solved without the nation spending billions of dollars and undergoing a radical redistribution of economic power.”
—Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When: Tues 1/16, 7pm
Where: Durham Food Co-op, 1101 W. Chapel Hill St. (at Buchanan)
Cost: FREE, but donations are appreciated
Questions & RSVPs: eyes-AT-getTraction-DOT-org

ReSisters March on DC to Shut the War Down, January 27th—Want to Join Us?

tamara — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:08:24 +0000

The Rainbow ReSisters Radical Cheerleading Troupe is looking for new members! We are a group of energetic, progressive, loud, dancing women. In 2006 you may have seen us cheering for peace in Carrboro, Durham and Fayetteville, NC and Atlanta, GA.

Now we need you! We’re going up to Washington, DC on Saturday, January 27 (J27) for a national anti-war rally organized by United for Peace and Justice.

Anyone who is interested in joining the ReSisters to march on Washington should plan on attending a preparatory meeting this Saturday, January 7th from 1-3:30 PM at Pacifica in Carrboro. If you’re interested in joining us for this or other events, please email us at grabowATemail.unc.edu.

Also, as we prepare for DC, weekly practices will be held on Tuesday nights at 8 pm in Southern Village, Chapel Hill (Jan 9, 16, 23).

If you want to go up to DC without picking up any radical pom poms, you can buy bus tickets from the Internationalist or Regulator bookstores while they last! ($35– sliding scale)

Please forward this along to anyone you know who likes yelling and dancing!

Onward,

The ReSisters

Guest blog: Mission Accomplished? Paul Rieckhoff Book Tour

Guest Blogger — Wed, 03 May 2006 03:14:35 +0000

I remember the day three years ago this past Monday, when George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier, USS Lincoln, and declared the end to major combat operations in Iraq. When I saw the president standing in front of a sign that declared “Mission Accomplished,” I feared the worst had yet to come and we were in for a multi-year struggle that would cost many, many lives. Now we must continue to listen to the voices of those that were there, understand our quagmire and think about what to do next.

On Thursday, May 11^th, Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will be speaking at the Regulator Bookshop in Durham.
The Regulator’s website has the details:

Paul Rieckhoff, who fought in Iraq and founded Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, will discuss and sign copies of his new book, Chasing Ghosts: A Soldier’s Fight for America from Baghdad to Washington. Rieckhoff signed up to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom, despite feeling that the invasion was a mistake. Patrolling the streets of Baghdad in the initial days of the occupation, he became convinced that the Operation represented one of America’s greatest foreign policy errors ever. Rieckhoff criticizes the Bush administration, but also the Kerry campaign, which disregarded his advice.

Join me in hearing this brave American as he discusses his new book. We’ll meet at the Regulator at 6:45 for the 7:00pm event. Afterwards, feel free to stay for coffee and gelato at Francesca’s.

– Dan Lieb

Drop Beats, Yo!

tamara — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:31:45 +0000

For the last 3 years, groups and individuals working in NC to end the War on Iraq gather each year for a massive march and rally in Fayetteville, NC, on the anniversary of the U.S. invading Iraq, led by the NC Peace and Justice Coalition. Be there this year: Sat. Mar 18.

Traction has stepped up to help organize Drop Beats not Bombs this Thursday night (3/2) at Ringside in downtown Durham. This event has a multitude of purposes including raising cash and training volunteers for March 18th, building solidarity, and DANCING! See the schedule of events here.

So where do you come in? Come and help cover the door, sign up folks for the Traction and NCPJC lists, and get the party started. (My worm is absolutely fierce, how’s yours?) And of course we need you to volunteer on 3/18 so you should get smart about it on Thursday. Email and let us know you’re coming.

So put Fayetteville on your calendar for 3/18 and get on your dancing shoes, people.

Occupation: Dreamland this Wednesday

Lanya — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 21:50:14 +0000

R e e l P o l i t i k

film

+ drinks

+ action-focused talk

+ you

= change

In FEBRUARY…

Occupation: Dreamland is an unflinchingly candid portrait of a squad of American soldiers deployed in the doomed Iraq city of Falluja during the winter of 2004. Through the squad’s activities Occupation: Dreamland provides a vital glimpse into the last days of Falluja.

Come out Wednesday (2/22) at 7pm to Broad St. Café in Durham (1116 Broad St.) for this powerful film and conversation afterwards about how to get your anti-war on.* Suggested donation: $5.

*Sneak Peek:
March 2nd Drop Beats not Bombs dance party (Traction + NC Peace & Justice Coalition)
March 18th demonstration in Fayetteville on the 3rd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq

Yes, it’s another chance to support our local businesses! You can buy drinks and nosh at the Cafe. Also, Randy’s Pizza is a few doors down and it’s totally fine to bring food from there.

Traction sponsors ReelPolitik to advance progressive causes in the Triangle by entertaining, educating and engaging the community, *especially* folks under 40. See a good flick, meet people, talk policy and activate around issues. And eat. And drink.