Tis the season for giving and my favorite is food drives. I love seeing people come together, across religious and cultural lines, to reach out to neighbors in need. If you're donating, be sure to follow the suggestions list. But if there are no suggestions here's a list of food items that are always needed. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions. I've seen first-hands that some foods there's never enough of and some that are donated in abundance. Here's a food bank shopping list. Best Items to Donate to Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Drives
11 Aralık 2012 Salı
Foods Donations for Holiday Drives
To contact us Click HERE
Tis the season for giving and my favorite is food drives. I love seeing people come together, across religious and cultural lines, to reach out to neighbors in need. If you're donating, be sure to follow the suggestions list. But if there are no suggestions here's a list of food items that are always needed. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions. I've seen first-hands that some foods there's never enough of and some that are donated in abundance. Here's a food bank shopping list. Best Items to Donate to Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Drives
Tis the season for giving and my favorite is food drives. I love seeing people come together, across religious and cultural lines, to reach out to neighbors in need. If you're donating, be sure to follow the suggestions list. But if there are no suggestions here's a list of food items that are always needed. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions. I've seen first-hands that some foods there's never enough of and some that are donated in abundance. Here's a food bank shopping list. Best Items to Donate to Thanksgiving and Christmas Food Drives
How to Travel Like a Pro 12.1.12
To contact us Click HERE
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too
The holidays are officially upon us and that means more travelers hitting the airport to visit friends, families or possibly just take advantage of a rockin’ travel deal. There’s no doubt that the airport will be crowded with travelers and lovely people picking up and saying goodbye, but the busiest place won’t be the stores or eateries, or even the waiting room, but the security line. No one likes to wait in it and everyone thinks it’s a hassle, even though it’s kind of exciting, because you’re going somewhere, hopefully, fun. While your airport might be more organized than some others out there, they still need you to do your part in making security an easier process for everyone. Here are some tips to help you get through security quickly and easily, even if they pull you aside and dig through your bag.
Have your photo ID and boarding pass in-hand – You can’t even get to the security conveyor belts and scanners if you don’t make it past the TSA agent in the line. Make sure to be prepared and keep the line moving, by having your photo ID (or passport) and boarding pass at the ready. Nobody wants to wait for you to dig around in your bag to find it and you will just make enemies of those people in line behind you.
Have your 3-1-1 bag out – Don’t wait until you get to the airport to start rummaging around in your toiletry bag and finding all your liquids and gels. Buy a TSA-approved 3-1-1 bag online or at the store or pick up a box of 1-liter zip-top bags and fill it up before you leave home. It will make you less stressed and you’ll know that everything fits in there.
Wear easy-on, easy-off shoes – Do you want to spend 20 minutes untying your hiking books to take off and put in the security bin? Probably not. Also, the people behind you do not want to wait for you either. Make sure you wear shoes that can easily be taken off and put back on, so you can make security procedures that much less painful for you and everyone else involved.
Do not wrap your gifts – TSA is all about seeing everything in your bag. Even if you only have one gift in your bag, don’t wrap it. You will have spent all that time and energy making it look pretty and then getting it into your bag, only to have an agent rip your paper to shreds to find out what you packed. Bring small gifts that can be packed without boxes and wrapping paper. By all means, bring those staples with you to wrap at your destination if you have room in your bag.
Make sure your laptop is easily accessible– If you’re bringing a laptop, netbook or iPad, make sure you can quickly access it and slide it in and out of your carry-on. It will make the security line that much faster when you have to dump all your individual things into a bin: shoes, jacket, purse, pocket contents, laptop, 3-1-1 bag. The quicker these things can be put into a bin, the faster you can push them towards the X-Ray machine and make room for other travelers’ items and bins on the counter.Where are you traveling this holiday season?
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too
The holidays are officially upon us and that means more travelers hitting the airport to visit friends, families or possibly just take advantage of a rockin’ travel deal. There’s no doubt that the airport will be crowded with travelers and lovely people picking up and saying goodbye, but the busiest place won’t be the stores or eateries, or even the waiting room, but the security line. No one likes to wait in it and everyone thinks it’s a hassle, even though it’s kind of exciting, because you’re going somewhere, hopefully, fun. While your airport might be more organized than some others out there, they still need you to do your part in making security an easier process for everyone. Here are some tips to help you get through security quickly and easily, even if they pull you aside and dig through your bag.
Have your photo ID and boarding pass in-hand – You can’t even get to the security conveyor belts and scanners if you don’t make it past the TSA agent in the line. Make sure to be prepared and keep the line moving, by having your photo ID (or passport) and boarding pass at the ready. Nobody wants to wait for you to dig around in your bag to find it and you will just make enemies of those people in line behind you.
Have your 3-1-1 bag out – Don’t wait until you get to the airport to start rummaging around in your toiletry bag and finding all your liquids and gels. Buy a TSA-approved 3-1-1 bag online or at the store or pick up a box of 1-liter zip-top bags and fill it up before you leave home. It will make you less stressed and you’ll know that everything fits in there.
Wear easy-on, easy-off shoes – Do you want to spend 20 minutes untying your hiking books to take off and put in the security bin? Probably not. Also, the people behind you do not want to wait for you either. Make sure you wear shoes that can easily be taken off and put back on, so you can make security procedures that much less painful for you and everyone else involved.
Do not wrap your gifts – TSA is all about seeing everything in your bag. Even if you only have one gift in your bag, don’t wrap it. You will have spent all that time and energy making it look pretty and then getting it into your bag, only to have an agent rip your paper to shreds to find out what you packed. Bring small gifts that can be packed without boxes and wrapping paper. By all means, bring those staples with you to wrap at your destination if you have room in your bag.
Make sure your laptop is easily accessible– If you’re bringing a laptop, netbook or iPad, make sure you can quickly access it and slide it in and out of your carry-on. It will make the security line that much faster when you have to dump all your individual things into a bin: shoes, jacket, purse, pocket contents, laptop, 3-1-1 bag. The quicker these things can be put into a bin, the faster you can push them towards the X-Ray machine and make room for other travelers’ items and bins on the counter.Where are you traveling this holiday season?
Los Angeles Landmarks 12.5.12
To contact us Click HERE
When I was in Los Angeles in September and October, I had the fortune of visiting (and seeing) a ton of landmarks. Amazingly, you can do this for cheap. Many of LA's famous landmarks are free or cheap, making it a super budget sightseeing trip. In fact, we rented a car and found parking in the middle of the city for even less than Seattle. I found that surprising. Just $10 for all day? Crazy cheap! You can barely find that kind of deal in downtown Portland. Here are some of my favorite shots.
What was your favorite thing to see in Los Angeles or where do you hope to see when you travel there?
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too.
What was your favorite thing to see in Los Angeles or where do you hope to see when you travel there?
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too.
Infographic: Where to Go For the Holidays 12.8.12
To contact us Click HERE
I love an infographic and I especially like lists of destinations, because I have an ever-growing list of places I want to visit. If you're still looking to get away for the holidays, here are your top 9 destinations to get away to, courtesy of CityPASS. Don't forget to pick up your CityPASS for U.S. destinations and save a ton on your sightseeing. Need another reason to use CityPASS? Check out my review when I used it in SoCal.
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too.
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too.
CityPASS Winter Special 12.10.12
To contact us Click HERE
CityPASS is offering such a good deal for the holidays, that I didn't want you to miss it, even though I've highlighted it on the sidebar earlier. I felt it deserved its own post, in case you are looking for stocking stuffers, a fun gift for a traveler on your list or something to use on your own travels.
Boston, Hollywood, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia and Seattle usually are valid for 9 days from first date of use, but CityPASS has decided to extend their validity until the end of February, meaning you can get up to a full 76 days out of passes that are used December 15th or after. This is fantastic if you're traveling to or in any of these cities or know that your giftees will be, because it gives the user more time to get to all the activities included on these awesome passes. Explore the city with out of town guest, keep your kids busy over winter break or give an amazing holiday gift! Do more for less with CityPASS.
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too.
CityPASS is offering such a good deal for the holidays, that I didn't want you to miss it, even though I've highlighted it on the sidebar earlier. I felt it deserved its own post, in case you are looking for stocking stuffers, a fun gift for a traveler on your list or something to use on your own travels.
Boston, Hollywood, Houston, New York City, Philadelphia and Seattle usually are valid for 9 days from first date of use, but CityPASS has decided to extend their validity until the end of February, meaning you can get up to a full 76 days out of passes that are used December 15th or after. This is fantastic if you're traveling to or in any of these cities or know that your giftees will be, because it gives the user more time to get to all the activities included on these awesome passes. Explore the city with out of town guest, keep your kids busy over winter break or give an amazing holiday gift! Do more for less with CityPASS.
For more holiday travel tips, check out my new ebook - How to Survive Holiday Travel on a Budget - to keep money in your pocket and your sanity intact. Visit your family and save enough money to take your own vacation, too.
8 Aralık 2012 Cumartesi
Terrorist Attack in Wichita: The Truth Behind the Tear Gas
To contact us Click HERE
Wichita Old Town Old Town This latest incident shows that
December 2,
The Following is from the Occupy Wichitaweb site, Occupy316;
The recent tear gas incident inWichita Old Town , Wichita ’s entertainment district.
According to the Old Town Association, a committee of business owners in thedistrict,Old Town
Doc Howard’s is one of, if not the largest of the clubs in the district, andcaters to the most racially diverse customer base. Despite the club’sinvestment of over $100,000 in video surveillance equipment, strict prohibitionof gang or drug related activity, and a unit of privately hiredWichita police officers,there are occasional disturbances outside the club, particularly when the barsclose at 2 am, as is customary when large numbers of people are drinking.
Rather than effectively police the situation, officers have repeatedlyresorted to unjustifiable violence to resolve incidents, rarely making arrests,even when they witness violations of the law, firsthand. The police use horsesto force the crowd down the road, when the clubs close.
In that time frame, it is normal for as many as 2,000 people to fill thestreet. Most people move slowly in the direction of their cars, often stoppingto talk with friends, or determine who is driving whom, since most of theclub-goers are inebriated by the end of the night.
People have been trampled, and one young man was even tied to a horse, by apolice officer, and then dragged through the street. This does not happenoutside any of the other clubs in the area, or anywhere else in town, for thatmatter.
Fights that happen outside other clubs in the area are generally ignored bypolice, who may break up the fight, but make no arrests. Loiterers are notharassed outside the other clubs in the area. But the people who leave DocHoward’s just before 2 am are herded like cattle, down the road, and forcedinto their cars, in the name of clearing the area to maintain public safety.Again, this does not happen outside any of the other clubs.
In September, the Wichita City Council passed a series of ordinances after aspate of incidents inOld Town Kansas , is 21.
These ordinances were lobbied for by the Old Town Association, and opposedby the owners of Doc Howard’s. The problem with these ordinances is that theydo little to address the actual problem. The ordinances require club owners toprovide security outside their clubs, and particularly in adjacent parkinglots.
These parking lots are actually where the majority of the problems occur.They are not well-lit, and are not patrolled by the police. Unfortunately, theclub owners’ insurance policies do not cover their employees when they are inthese adjacent parking lots, so no one is securing these areas.
When these ordinances passed, the owners at Doc Howard’s made the decisionto stop paying four Wichita police officers to provide private security outsidethe club. These officers were each being paid $37.50 per hour, by Doc Howard’s.However, the Wichita Police Department determines who can actually hire theseoff-duty but uniformed officers, and who cannot.
Doc Howard’s cannot hire these officers directly, so they are required tocontract them through the Old Town Association. The Old Town Association hasdetermined that Doc Howard’s is bad for their businesses, and many of thoseowners want Doc Howard’s shut down. The high class hotels in the area feel thathaving large numbers of drunk minorities walking by is detrimental to theirsales revenue.
Many of the business owners that comprise the Old Town Association also havevery close ties to members of the Wichita City Council, which passed theseordinances, that were clearly designed to harm Doc Howard’s business. In fact,one member of the City Council actually held their victory celebration in theHotel atOld Town
So essentially, Doc Howard’s was paying these police officers who were, inall actuality, working against the club for the Old Town Association. So, a fewweeks ago, Doc Howard’s stopped paying the private police unit. And that iswhen the real problems started.
Now we come back to Thanksgiving and the tear gas incident outside the club.According to Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams, onecanister of tear gas was deployed in response to multiple small disturbancesoutside the club, although video evidence and eye witness reports do not support these claims.
What is known, is that tear gas was deployed, just as the club-goers hadstarted filing out of the door. Approximately 1,000 people were either in thestreet outside the club, or still exiting the building when the tear gas wasdeployed. The chaos that ensued was captured on multiple security cameras andthe videos are embedded below.
The security cameras that were installed after the ordinances passed were,according to Chief Williams, not functioning. The police department failed toinform the media of the incident for several days. In fact, if certain membersof the media had not been tipped off (by me), the police never would have madeany statement regarding this incident.
When the Chief did finally release a statement, he downplayed the situationand repeatedly claimed that the tear gas was the safest way to disperse thecrowd, which is absolutely ridiculous when one views the video footage. Thereality is that the crowd was dispersing, and the tear gas caused an extremelydangerous situation in which people were trampled.
When Chief Williams released his statement, he had not seen the videofootage, and did not expect it to be released. Chief Williams says the tear gaswas justified and reasonable, although local civil rights attorney Jim Thompson disagrees. Thompsonsays that the officer’s actions put far more people in danger and that thosepeople have a cause for action in civil court. Thompson represents Doc Howard’sand also spoke out against the ordinances when they were first proposed by theCity Council.
Now, just over a week after the tear gas attack, Doc Howard’s has rehiredthe private police officers. However, the officers demanded a pay increase, andare now paid $60 per hour, each. Just to clarify and reiterate:
This private police unit was making $37.50 per hour, apiece. Then DocHoward’s stopped paying the officers, because the officers seemed to cause moreharm than good, primarily because they were actually employed by enemies of theclub. So then the department tear gassed 1,000 club goers, including the entirestaff of Doc Howard’s. Now, the private police unit has been rehired, butdemanded an unreasonable pay increase, with assurances that there will be nomore trouble.
The tear gas attack inOld Town
The videos below show that the crowd was clearly dispersing in a safe mannerprior to the tear gas. Then, chaos erupts as gas fills the street and theinside of the club. The first two videos are raw, uncut footage from DocHoward’s surveillance cameras. The third video is an edited cut, in which thepolice chief’s false statements are dubbed over footage of the carnage. Belowthat is a link to the video of Chief Williams’ uncut statement. I urge you toview them all, in their entirety.
Lt. Doug Nolte denied that there was a fog of gas, that theamount used was very small. Nolte also says the use of tear gas, outside, israre, due to wind factors.
“We put out a small canister of it – it’s not like the Old Townarea was blanketed in a fog of tear gas,” Nolte sai
This latest incident shows that Wichita
December 2,
The Following is from the Occupy Wichitaweb site, Occupy316;
The recent tear gas incident in
According to the Old Town Association, a committee of business owners in thedistrict,
Doc Howard’s is one of, if not the largest of the clubs in the district, andcaters to the most racially diverse customer base. Despite the club’sinvestment of over $100,000 in video surveillance equipment, strict prohibitionof gang or drug related activity, and a unit of privately hired
Rather than effectively police the situation, officers have repeatedlyresorted to unjustifiable violence to resolve incidents, rarely making arrests,even when they witness violations of the law, firsthand. The police use horsesto force the crowd down the road, when the clubs close.
In that time frame, it is normal for as many as 2,000 people to fill thestreet. Most people move slowly in the direction of their cars, often stoppingto talk with friends, or determine who is driving whom, since most of theclub-goers are inebriated by the end of the night.
People have been trampled, and one young man was even tied to a horse, by apolice officer, and then dragged through the street. This does not happenoutside any of the other clubs in the area, or anywhere else in town, for thatmatter.
Fights that happen outside other clubs in the area are generally ignored bypolice, who may break up the fight, but make no arrests. Loiterers are notharassed outside the other clubs in the area. But the people who leave DocHoward’s just before 2 am are herded like cattle, down the road, and forcedinto their cars, in the name of clearing the area to maintain public safety.Again, this does not happen outside any of the other clubs.
In September, the Wichita City Council passed a series of ordinances after aspate of incidents in
These ordinances were lobbied for by the Old Town Association, and opposedby the owners of Doc Howard’s. The problem with these ordinances is that theydo little to address the actual problem. The ordinances require club owners toprovide security outside their clubs, and particularly in adjacent parkinglots.
These parking lots are actually where the majority of the problems occur.They are not well-lit, and are not patrolled by the police. Unfortunately, theclub owners’ insurance policies do not cover their employees when they are inthese adjacent parking lots, so no one is securing these areas.
When these ordinances passed, the owners at Doc Howard’s made the decisionto stop paying four Wichita police officers to provide private security outsidethe club. These officers were each being paid $37.50 per hour, by Doc Howard’s.However, the Wichita Police Department determines who can actually hire theseoff-duty but uniformed officers, and who cannot.
Doc Howard’s cannot hire these officers directly, so they are required tocontract them through the Old Town Association. The Old Town Association hasdetermined that Doc Howard’s is bad for their businesses, and many of thoseowners want Doc Howard’s shut down. The high class hotels in the area feel thathaving large numbers of drunk minorities walking by is detrimental to theirsales revenue.
Many of the business owners that comprise the Old Town Association also havevery close ties to members of the Wichita City Council, which passed theseordinances, that were clearly designed to harm Doc Howard’s business. In fact,one member of the City Council actually held their victory celebration in theHotel at
So essentially, Doc Howard’s was paying these police officers who were, inall actuality, working against the club for the Old Town Association. So, a fewweeks ago, Doc Howard’s stopped paying the private police unit. And that iswhen the real problems started.
Now we come back to Thanksgiving and the tear gas incident outside the club.According to Wichita Police Chief Norman Williams, onecanister of tear gas was deployed in response to multiple small disturbancesoutside the club, although video evidence and eye witness reports do not support these claims.
What is known, is that tear gas was deployed, just as the club-goers hadstarted filing out of the door. Approximately 1,000 people were either in thestreet outside the club, or still exiting the building when the tear gas wasdeployed. The chaos that ensued was captured on multiple security cameras andthe videos are embedded below.
The security cameras that were installed after the ordinances passed were,according to Chief Williams, not functioning. The police department failed toinform the media of the incident for several days. In fact, if certain membersof the media had not been tipped off (by me), the police never would have madeany statement regarding this incident.
When the Chief did finally release a statement, he downplayed the situationand repeatedly claimed that the tear gas was the safest way to disperse thecrowd, which is absolutely ridiculous when one views the video footage. Thereality is that the crowd was dispersing, and the tear gas caused an extremelydangerous situation in which people were trampled.
When Chief Williams released his statement, he had not seen the videofootage, and did not expect it to be released. Chief Williams says the tear gaswas justified and reasonable, although local civil rights attorney Jim Thompson disagrees. Thompsonsays that the officer’s actions put far more people in danger and that thosepeople have a cause for action in civil court. Thompson represents Doc Howard’sand also spoke out against the ordinances when they were first proposed by theCity Council.
Now, just over a week after the tear gas attack, Doc Howard’s has rehiredthe private police officers. However, the officers demanded a pay increase, andare now paid $60 per hour, each. Just to clarify and reiterate:
This private police unit was making $37.50 per hour, apiece. Then DocHoward’s stopped paying the officers, because the officers seemed to cause moreharm than good, primarily because they were actually employed by enemies of theclub. So then the department tear gassed 1,000 club goers, including the entirestaff of Doc Howard’s. Now, the private police unit has been rehired, butdemanded an unreasonable pay increase, with assurances that there will be nomore trouble.
The tear gas attack in
The videos below show that the crowd was clearly dispersing in a safe mannerprior to the tear gas. Then, chaos erupts as gas fills the street and theinside of the club. The first two videos are raw, uncut footage from DocHoward’s surveillance cameras. The third video is an edited cut, in which thepolice chief’s false statements are dubbed over footage of the carnage. Belowthat is a link to the video of Chief Williams’ uncut statement. I urge you toview them all, in their entirety.
Lt. Doug Nolte denied that there was a fog of gas, that theamount used was very small. Nolte also says the use of tear gas, outside, israre, due to wind factors.
“We put out a small canister of it – it’s not like the Old Townarea was blanketed in a fog of tear gas,” Nolte sai
Tom Hayden will speak at the Peace Center's Annual Meeting this Friday
To contact us Click HERE
From Wichita Peace and Freedom Party Examiner;Tom Hayden will be the main speaker at this year’s Annual Meeting, for the Peace and Social Justice Center.
Each year the Peace center has an annual meeting, including a dinner, a short business meeting and then the speaker is presented. Hayden will speak at 8p.m.
The dinner starts at 6:30 pm, and a short business meet will take place right before Hayden speaks.
The event will be at Fairmount United Church of Christ, 1650 N Fairmount. The dinner & annual meeting will start at 6:30 pm, Hayden will speak at 8 pm. The cost is $20 for both the dinner and speaker or $10 to hear Tom Hayden only. To RSVP for the annual event send an email to director@wichitapeace.org . Anyone is welcome to come hear Hayden without a reservation, for $10.
Tom Hayden, background, Wikipedia;
“Disenchanted by the anti-radicalism of existing groups like the National Student Association was one of the initiators of the influential leftist student activist group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Hayden took part in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Hayden became a "freedom rider" in the South and then served as president of SDS from 1962 to 1963.
In 1968, Hayden played a major role in the protests outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Six months after the convention he and other protesters including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and incitement to riot as part of the "Chicago Eight". Hayden and four others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot, but the charges were reversed on appeal.”
From Radical to liberal;
“During 1976, Hayden made a primary-election challenge to serving California U.S. Senator John V. Tunney. Starting far behind, Hayden mounted a spirited campaign and finished a surprisingly close second in the Democratic primary. He and Fonda later initiated the Campaign for Economic Democracy (CED), which formed a close alliance with then-Governor Jerry Brown and promoted solar energy, environmental protection, and renters' rights policies as well as candidates for local office throughout California, some 100 of whom would be elected.
Hayden later served in the California State Assembly (1982–1992) and the State Senate (1992–2000). During this time, he was frequently protested by conservative groups, including Vietnamese refugees, veterans of the US military and Young Americans for Freedom. He mounted a bid in the Democratic primary for California Governor during 1994 on the theme of campaign finance reform, and ran for Mayor of Los Angeles during 1997, losing to incumbent Republican Richard Riordan.”
Because Hayden has entered the mainstream political system, and even though he is very progressive, various left-wing groups have labeled him a sellout. On the other hand, many leftists groups appreciate what he has done for the good of the country and feel that his career in politics has been a very positive influence on this system. The Nation has a rather positive article about Hayden. On the other hand there is a stinging accusation of selling out from the Re: [Marxism] Tom Hayden: "liberal-left radicals" "upset w/Obama sell-outs are "blind" racists."
Hayden has opposed the US war machine. During 2007 Akashic Books released Hayden's Ending the War in Iraq. In a discussion about the book with Theodore Hamm, published in the Brooklyn Rail, Hayden argues;
"The apparatus of occupation is never going to turn into a peacekeeping economic development agency. We need to withdraw our stamp of approval and our tax dollars from supporting the occupation. That doesn’t mean that there can’t be some attempts at remedies but there should never be used as an excuse to stay."
Like him or not, The Peace and Social Justice Center is very fortunate to have such a well known speaker come to this city to discuss peace issues. Hayden is probably one of the most famous political figures to come to Wichita for such an event and we are very fortunate to be able to hear him speak.
Each year the Peace center has an annual meeting, including a dinner, a short business meeting and then the speaker is presented. Hayden will speak at 8p.m.
The dinner starts at 6:30 pm, and a short business meet will take place right before Hayden speaks.
The event will be at Fairmount United Church of Christ, 1650 N Fairmount. The dinner & annual meeting will start at 6:30 pm, Hayden will speak at 8 pm. The cost is $20 for both the dinner and speaker or $10 to hear Tom Hayden only. To RSVP for the annual event send an email to director@wichitapeace.org . Anyone is welcome to come hear Hayden without a reservation, for $10.
Tom Hayden, background, Wikipedia;
“Disenchanted by the anti-radicalism of existing groups like the National Student Association was one of the initiators of the influential leftist student activist group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). Hayden took part in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Hayden became a "freedom rider" in the South and then served as president of SDS from 1962 to 1963.
In 1968, Hayden played a major role in the protests outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Six months after the convention he and other protesters including Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and incitement to riot as part of the "Chicago Eight". Hayden and four others were convicted of crossing state lines to incite a riot, but the charges were reversed on appeal.”
From Radical to liberal;
“During 1976, Hayden made a primary-election challenge to serving California U.S. Senator John V. Tunney. Starting far behind, Hayden mounted a spirited campaign and finished a surprisingly close second in the Democratic primary. He and Fonda later initiated the Campaign for Economic Democracy (CED), which formed a close alliance with then-Governor Jerry Brown and promoted solar energy, environmental protection, and renters' rights policies as well as candidates for local office throughout California, some 100 of whom would be elected.
Hayden later served in the California State Assembly (1982–1992) and the State Senate (1992–2000). During this time, he was frequently protested by conservative groups, including Vietnamese refugees, veterans of the US military and Young Americans for Freedom. He mounted a bid in the Democratic primary for California Governor during 1994 on the theme of campaign finance reform, and ran for Mayor of Los Angeles during 1997, losing to incumbent Republican Richard Riordan.”
Because Hayden has entered the mainstream political system, and even though he is very progressive, various left-wing groups have labeled him a sellout. On the other hand, many leftists groups appreciate what he has done for the good of the country and feel that his career in politics has been a very positive influence on this system. The Nation has a rather positive article about Hayden. On the other hand there is a stinging accusation of selling out from the Re: [Marxism] Tom Hayden: "liberal-left radicals" "upset w/Obama sell-outs are "blind" racists."
Hayden has opposed the US war machine. During 2007 Akashic Books released Hayden's Ending the War in Iraq. In a discussion about the book with Theodore Hamm, published in the Brooklyn Rail, Hayden argues;
"The apparatus of occupation is never going to turn into a peacekeeping economic development agency. We need to withdraw our stamp of approval and our tax dollars from supporting the occupation. That doesn’t mean that there can’t be some attempts at remedies but there should never be used as an excuse to stay."
Like him or not, The Peace and Social Justice Center is very fortunate to have such a well known speaker come to this city to discuss peace issues. Hayden is probably one of the most famous political figures to come to Wichita for such an event and we are very fortunate to be able to hear him speak.
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