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The truth must be told

The in-custody death of Raymond Eacret Raymond Eacret, 34 years old and a proud Yurok Tribal Member from Trinidad Rancheria, of Eureka, CA, died “in custody” in the Humboldt County Correctional Center on Friday, June 26, 2015.  Raymond was held on a misdemeanor charge and was due to be released…

In memory of the great Rosa Luxemburg

Rosa Luxemburg [1871-1919], the Polish-born revolutionary and writer, was one of the most original theoretical minds of the early twentieth century. Her work stands as a testament to the great social of upheavals of the time and a life lived in struggle for a better world. She ultimately suffered for…

Remembering Joel Nelson

Joel Nelson, a graduate of North Thurston High School and school athelic, was a son, brother, and lover.  His life struggles were brought to a sudden end January 5, 2016. He is one more victim of the War on Drugs, which has fueled the ongoing militarization of local police departments…

Free tax assistance in Thurston County

2015 Income Tax Preparation In partnership with the AARP, the Thurston Asset Building Coalition is offering free tax preparation services throughout Thurston County during this tax season, with a focus on claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Childcare Tax Credit. In 2015, 2,168 people of all ages…

Thurston Asset Building Coalition

MISSION & VISION  Our mission is to connect partners and community resources to promote opportunities for people with limited incomes to become more resilient and prosperous. We envision a Thurston County wherein all individuals and families are able to live, work, meet basic needs, and prosper. WHO WE ARE The…

Save This Date – Saturday, March 26 – If you want your vote to count

This year is a Presidential Election year and the Primary season will probably have begun by the time you read this. In our state the first votes are cast Saturday, March 26, at the Washington State Democratic Precinct Caucuses.  If you want your favored candidate to be on the November…

Oh Citizens United has divided us

Oh Citizens United has divided us Into those with voices and those who cannot speak And it looks like corruption, like democracy disruption And the end of it is what the people seek   Five justices with blood upon their hands Have cast a curse upon our sacred land They’ve…

Court fees pose undue burden on poor

Reform needed for our state’s system of Legal Financial Obligations Debtors’ prisons were abolished in 1842, yet people in Washington and around the country continue to be jailed for failing to keep up on payments for court-imposed fees. Others remain trapped for life in spiraling debt. Washington’s system of Legal…

Let’s welcome Syrians to the U.S.

A look back at this nation’s rejection of Jewish refugees during WW II (The following is an edited version of a talk at a forum held at The Evergreen State College—After Paris: Responding to Islamophobia and the Refugee Crisis—given by Peter Bohmer on December 2, 2015) First, a little about…

The difference between what was signed in Paris and what we need in Washington—now!

Regarding fossil fuels Everyone wants to believe the agreement reached in Paris is definitely “better than nothing.” For all countries, big and small, this “self-prescribed” neutrality climate pledge of 2 degrees-with 1.5 Celsius appears to be a good idea. However, voluntary compliance seems a rudimentary flaw in the plan–a serious…

Strategies 360—oil and coal lobbyists who wield great influence in state government

Northwest firm is behind Longview refinery, Arctic drilling, and more The fossil fuel divestment movement has scored a string of successes across the country, convincing universities, cities, and philanthropies to dump their investments in coal and oil. Now, as the Northwest stares down the barrel of five Keystone XLs’ worth…

Every Breath You Take, I Can’t Breathe

What kind of world do we live in? Will the violence never cease? Sting was to appear at a Black Lives Matter rally ‘til he saw a sign that read “Fuck the police”   Don’t stand so close to me I’ll be watching you Now we treat Muslims The way…

Community Sustaining Fund of Thurston County announces recipients

This grant cycles’ grantees and their funded projects: Stonewall Youth:  Sponsorships for four youths to participate in two anti-oppression/social justice workshops ($600) The South Sound Estuarium:  Purchase of a cooler system for an aquarium. ($600) Fertile Ground: Acquisition of a street sign, community bulletin board, and seasonal garden interpretive signs.…

Reaffirmation of our shared commitment to a free and open society

Statement Concerning the Climate of Political Intolerance:  A voice vote was taken on the statement below at the December 9, 2015 Faculty meeting  and passed by overwhelming yes vote with one abstention.  We, members of the faculty at The Evergreen State College, are deeply troubled by the extreme intolerance of…

Brutalidad policial y sus descontentos

La destrucción del cuerpo Negro en América Esto es lo que me gustaría que usted sepa: En América es tradicional destruir el cuerpo negro – es patrimonio Ta Nehisi Coates, “Entre el Mundo y Yo (una carta a su hijo) I. Los fallecidos Parece justo decir—por lo menos por propósitos…

Valuable energy technology threatened

Company throttles back promising biofuel at point of commercialization  Are we seeing another variation of a promising technology being squashed before it even gets to see the light of day? Is a vital technology being tossed aside just as it was becoming commercially viable after nine and a half years of…

Quality child care, equity for workers

A need for adequate child care provided in a financially responsible manner One of my daughters recently moved from Olympia to Brooklyn NY, where she works as the director of a preschool. Her school, open from 7am to 6pm, Monday through Friday, is designed to serve kids between 2 and…

The death of Nohemi González in Paris

My cousin, Nohemi González, was one of the victims killed during the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13. Nohemi was a bright shining light in our family, a proud, outspoken, and talented first-generation Mexican American and first-generation college student, studying abroad for a semester at a French school of design.…

A letter from Ireland to an American friend

An Irish-American friend of mine wrote to me after the Paris attacks suggesting that the problem was Muslims who don’t want to assimilate, unlike the Irish that came to America. I don’t think it is about Muslims who refuse to assimilate. It is about our refusal to stop destroying states.…

Find creative ways…

From the local to the global there has been momentum building on Climate Action.  One hundred and sixty nations have pledged to undertake actions to reduce climate change.  These proposals are a start but do not make deep enough emission cuts to prevent global temperature rise and increasing climate catastrophe.  As…

Warmth and good cheer for America’s economic refugees

Shelter from the storm, refugees caught in the after math of the Bush era wars, no place is safe from the haboob, a desert storm. The kind thing to do is to take in these families of people so other people from the world community can see we in America…

An Eve’s Blessings

Be blessed I say to everyone Be blessed by the return and rise of the sun Wherever you’re at north south east or west For many this time of the year is the best   Each has a view of what happens these days Bringing warmth and light in their…

A brief biography of Larry Kerschner

Larry Kerschner is the poet Laureate for Veterans for Peace Rachel Corrie Chapter and has written a few books of poetry including Grave Lines and United States Military Diplomacy: From Wounded Knee to Afghanistan. Prolific writer of Letters to the Editor. His blog can be followed at: larrywrites.livejournal.com In his…

The Greek Crisis          

There must be some way out of here! The following is an edited version of a  speech presented at a forum organized by KAOS Radio and Economics for Everyone in Olympia, Washington on October 20, 2015. I was reminded how important what is going on in is Greece when a…