Storm clouds of war darken the horizon as we go to press. Iraq has not attacked the U.S., nor threatened to do so. Iraq is not responsible for the atrocity of 9/11, and there is no evidence linking that country to al-Qaida. No intelligence has established that Iraq has usable weapons of mass destruction. Yet our country is prepared to spend more than 200 billion dollars, in addition to the incalculable cost in human lives, on the further destruction of Iraq.
Much of the money that fuels the war machine will come at the expense of domestic health care, education and social services programs already reeling from budget cuts. Local health departments across the nation are beginning to feel the pinch, as the war on terrorism drains away taxpayer dollars; the first programs to be cut will be children's dentistry and cancer and tuberculosis screening.
The cloud of poverty that casts its shadow of despair over the lives of so many Americans will loom ever larger. The number of homeless, jobless, hungry, mentally ill and destitute people on our streets and riverbanks will increase as we choose war over peace, militarism over social programs.
In this issue, you can find ways to join the growing number of people from all walks of life who are standing up to voice their opposition to this war. You can learn the thoughts of several Iraqi citizens, as well as those of some of your neighbors, as they wait for war. In addition, this issue includes a look at the county's temporary winter shelter for the homeless, and the plans to soon build a permanent year-round one.
In these pages you also will find a report on the most recent threat to the tall trees of Montgomery Woods, updates on the grading ordinance and industrial hemp, tips for gardeners on making compost in your own backyard, ways to get involved with the Mendocino Environmental Center, and more. The struggle for environmental justice cannot be separated from the struggle for social justiceÑand both begin at home.
Ukiah: every Friday, 5-6 pm, in front of the Courthouse
Willits: every Friday, 5-6 pm, in front of Howard Hospital
Mendocino: first and third Saturdays, 1 pm, in front of the Ford House on Main Street (sponsored by People for Peace)
Fort Bragg: second and fourth Saturdays, 1 pm, in front of the Town Hall (sponsored by People for Peace)
Mendocino: first Monday of the month, at sunset, at the Peace Plaque on the Headlands
Fort Bragg: first and third Fridays, 4:30 pm, in front of the Town Hall
Mendocino: second and fourth Fridays, 4:30 pm, on the corner of Ukiah and Lansing Streets
Ukiah: every Monday, noon-1 pm, in front of the Post Office, Standley and Oak Streets.
(For more information on Women in Black, see page 14.)
Silent Peace Walk, third Sunday of every month, noon, Alex Thomas Plaza, Ukiah
Parents for Peace meetings, first Thursday of every month, 6:30 pm, at the MEC, 459-4824 for information.
Peace Action Group, ongoing group of peace activists meets regularly in Mendocino, at the office of Dr. Carol Wolman, 937-2468 for information.
Puppets for Peace, making giant puppets for peace demonstrations, second Sunday of every month, 319 Jones St., Ukiah, 462-2061 for information.
Alliance for Democracy, Inland Chapter sponsors "Corporations and Democracy," a new study group in Ukiah, ten consecutive Thursdays beginning January 30, 6-8 pm. Based on a curriculum developed by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. For more information contact Kimbal Dodge, 743-1667.
Stop the War on Iraq! Mass march and rally in San Francisco, Sunday, February 16. Gather at 11 am at Embarcadero Plaza, march at 1 pm to a 2 pm rally at Civic Center Plaza. The demonstration is co-sponsored by Bay United Against War, The Not in Our Name Project, United for Peace and Justice, and The International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition, and is endorsed by thousands of organizations and individuals.
Dark with Power
Dark with power, we remain
the invaders of our land, leaving
deserts where forests were,
scars where there were hills.
On the mountains, on the rivers
on the cities, on the farmlands
we lay weighted hands, our breath
potent with the death of all things.
Pray to us, farmers and villagers
of Viet Nam. Pray to us, mothers
and children of helpless countries.
Ask for nothing.
We are carried in the belly
of what we have become
toward the shambles of our triumph,
far from the quiet houses.
Fed with dying, we gaze
on our might's monuments of fire.
The world dangles from us
while we gaze.
ÐWendell Berry
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 2003
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited