A festive event (on multiple occasions) During Evergreen’s commencement ceremonies this year, I happened to be seated next to a young Italian mother, her two kids and her South-American husband. It was her first time observing an American college graduation and she was surprised by the festive tone of the…
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Constitutional law looks fine on paper… I was attacked by two members of a biker gang outside the Olympia Police headquarters this past December. It wasn’t a particularly severe incident and thinking it was over, I returned to my home. Where I was attacked by two more members of the…
The following is a speech given by Dr. Mosqueda, Faculty Emeritus, at The Evergreen State College graduation ceremony, June 12, 2015. First I want to congratulate the graduating class and their families. You should all be proud of your accomplishment in graduating from college. But you, your family, and friends…
In Ecuador, right now, the wealthiest 2% are engaging in organized protests aimed at undermining a democratically elected government. Some think they intend an illegal seizure of power—a coup d’etat—and the president of Venezuela has called upon leaders in the region to guard against this newest challenge to democratically enacted…
Un evento festivo (en múltiples ocasiones) Durante las ceremonias de graduación de Evergreen, por casualidad estuve sentado al lado de una joven madre italiana, sus dos hijos y su esposo sudamericano. Esta era la primera vez que ella observaba una graduación en una universidad americana y se encontraba sorprendida por…
Just as long as the icing remains sweet at the top Let the cake rot The middle class will police the poor There’s no more room at the top Let them eat cake Let them all rot Bread is king Martin King was shot Dreaming of icing being equal with…
Courts and Religion From the beginning of the first Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), it was nearly impossible for most of us to predict what claim would land in our laps next, or what claims would dominate. Except for the conservative Christians, whose agenda keeps popping up through the policy…
Bias against those homeless is fought by recognizing their inherent dignity After almost 70 years since its adoption, the moral influence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) has been reluctantly accepted by the governments of the world. Even though the chair of the draft committee of for the…
On Thursday, June 25 a coalition led by Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ), delivered over 300,000 petition signatures to Costco’s Issaquah headquarters, demanding the retail chain reject genetically modified seafood. Representatives from CAGJ, Loki Fish Company, and UFCW Local 21 met with Costco COO of Merchandizing Doug Schutt, who…
Investigation reveals contract between Port of Olympia and ThurstonTalk When the Port of Olympia put out an article on May 5 by Kate Scriven for ThurstonTalk called, “Port of Olympia: Snapshot of Current Projects, Recent Changes, Plans for Future,” via the Port’s list serv, I read it. The public and…
Re: latest issue, page 12 photo caption; “The only known photo of the…blah, blah….” Come on guys, do your homework. First, the pictured crowd, estimated then at about 3000, is seen in the Legislative Building rotunda the afternoon of Tuesday, January 15, 1991. The so called “take over” came a…
On a cool, clear Saturday morning I was chopping wood. Chips and splinters sprayed as a neighbor peered over my fence in greeting. I welcomed him with dirt speckled face, an axe over my shoulder. He looked around; seeing the pile of split timber and my sweaty brow he congratulated…
In mid-April, La Caravana 43, a group made up of parents and fellow students of the 43 missing student teachers from Ayotzinapa arrived in Olympia. Their visit to Olympia consisted of two events, one at the Washington State Labor Council and one at the Evergreen State College’s Longhouse. Both events…
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit a community college near San Francisco that is implementing a Spark Point Center on campus, a centralized hub where low-income students can access core services aimed at helping them achieve financial stability. The underlying assumption is that if low-income students have more…
Ominous Tuesday Those inclined to keep track of the calendar know that on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, the 58th American presidential election will take place. Those inclined to keep track of history will ask themselves, in what kind of historical circumstances for the nation, for the world, and for their…
Martes siniestro Aquellos inclinados a no perder de vista el calendario saben que el Martes 8 de noviembre del 2016, se llevara a cabo la 58 elección presidencial estadounidense. Aquellos inclinados a seguir la pista a la historia le preguntarán a sí mismos, en qué tipo de circunstancias históricas para…
On May 1st of 2015 all people of color, and their supporters, peacefully went on strike to stop police corruption. 90% of the country shut down and stayed home with their families. This started a wave of peaceful opting out of the system culminating with the first native, white and…
At 1:15 a.m. early Thursday, May 21 on the westside of Olympia, Washington, white police officer, Ryan Donald, shot two young black unarmed men, step-brothers, Andre Thompson, aged 24, and Bryson Chaplin, aged 21. These two Olympia residents are in serious condition at nearby hospitals in Tacoma and Seattle. Fortunately,…
1972: Maryland was the first state to pass a Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights allowing officers extra protections when investigated. Attempts to end it have failed. August 16, 1989: Freddie Gray and his twin sister, Fredericka, were born. 1991: The Baltimore City Police Department created an undercover Violent Crime…
I-735 calls for a constitutional amendment limiting money in election campaigns April 25, 2015 was the official launch date for WAMEND’s I-735. This Initiative would make Washington State the 17th state to call for overturning the recent Supreme Court decisions that allow corporations, billionaires and other “artificial legal entities” to…
What it would mean for millions of children living in poverty in the United States It is tough for adults to get by in America these days, but it is nearly impossible for kids. According to the National Center for Children and Poverty, approximately 16 million children in the United…
Signature campaign is launched As citizens concerned about climate change, we are disappointed to see the Carbon Pollution Accountability Act fail to be included in either the Washington State House or Senate versions of the 2015-2017 budget. Unfortunately, the impacts from climate change will not be delayed because of legislative…
April 30, 2015, was the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese victory and the United States defeat. This was a victory not only for Vietnam but also for people all over the world who believe in self-determination and opposition to U.S. economic and political domination.…
The Vax article was well written and insightful. However, there is one nuance that I had difficulty in separating from the “cult”. I have an issue with the fact that some injectables are preserved with compounds of mercury. When I last had my tetanus shot, the doctor belittled me for…
April 25, 2015 Last night I was a luminous being marching for the extinct like me, once deemed a terminated “race.” We danced, humans, joyous for life itself. Lit from within, our exotic talking protoplasm swayed to ancient drumbeats. We forgot our divisions, embracing the fragile. All of existence stood…
(For Sister Jackie Hudson) Love will lead me over As I step across the line, Peace will be my cover, As I step across the line, As I step across the line Justice is the reason, I’ve made that reason mine, And love is all around me As I step…
Can gardening help repair the “normal psychological wear and tear” of ordinary living? In the book, Green Nature, Human Nature, Charles Lewis, horticulturalist and resident scholar at the Morton Arboretum, a botanical garden outside Chicago, argues that it can. Lewis writes about plants the way a lover writes about a…