The Struggle Continues...

dear friends, 

it is with great pleasure that i write to tell you all about my very wonderful experiences of the past few weeks!  it all started out with a couple of emails to friends in southern oregon and southwest montana, regions where i lived fifteen of my post-college years and where i have returned to again and again over the past eight years. after hearing friends in the northwest say that their peace and social justice groups would be interested in hearing me talk about my "artistic witness" activities of this past year, the balls began rolling to plan my first little speaking tour.  

 

the tour actually began in grand rapids, michigan in early March of this year. two months later, in early May, within one week, I spoke in Ashland, Oregon and the three Montana towns of Helena, Livingston, and Bozeman.  

 

the leading story at each speaking event was the historic court martial of Wikileaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning and my process of making courtroom sketches each day of her trial.  i also described my month-long trip to Palestine through the grant to make art about life under illegal Israeli occupation.  shortly before i went on the trip out west, i had attended one week of Cecily McMillan's trial in New York City and thus I shared some sketches and stories about Cecily.  (Update on Cecily McMillan:  Cecily, having been brutally assaulted by a police officer, was falsely labeled guilty of a felony charge of assaulting a police officer and was unjustly sentenced on May 19 to three months in jail and five long years of probation.  She is at NYC Riker's Island federal prison now.)

 

at each speaking event on the mini-tour i was relieved to be greeted by very kind, attentive audiences. i found it easy to speak from my heart because the people attending the talks seemed genuinely interested in everything i had to say.  i thoroughly enjoyed meeting many new friends as well as reuniting with old ones. and, because the attendees were so generous, all of my travel expenses--including two plane flights and one long Greyhound bus ride--were covered by the donations collected.  

 

i also am grateful to the many people who have been reading my emails and have sent money and/or affirmations to support my various social change projects over the years. as you continue to affirm me in many ways, i know i am not alone in my passion for justice.  we are many and we are strong!  

 

At the Bozeman event I announced the nationwide call from Witness Against Torture for actions on May 23 towards closing the horrific indefinite detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where 154 men are still held without charges and where 77 of those men have been cleared for release by military courts (which means the military has found that it has no grounds to press any charges against these men). US taxpayers pay one million dollars per person to illegally hold those innocent men in captivity.  On May 23 a group of Monatana activists joined others in 40 cities nationwide to protest Guantanamo. About 10 of us stood on Main Street in Bozeman in front of the Gallatin County courthouse.  Please see a one-minute video clip of the Bozeman demonstration:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkXB4003fGI&feature=youtu.be  And hear a fabulous radio show about the demonstration in Boston:  http://www.radio4all.net/files/chuck@wmbr.org/727-1-Guantanamo_2014_MASTER.mp3

 

In solidarity, towards justice, peace and compassion for all~

deb