[Peace-discuss] Here in Olean

[Barbara Dyskant]

Hi all,

Just an update on work we're doing over here in Olean, NY.    I'm happy to
hear all that you folks are doing. 

Our new Peace Coalition is still coming along-- it seems a lot of what
we're going through  parallels some of AWARE,  including discussions about
where to focus our efforts now.  Your "core group" is larger.  We have a
working nucleus though and about 80 people on the listserv.  We also
interact with other groups doing work here.

Civil liberties is a major theme we're onto right now, along with the
effect of the military draining money from social services such as
education, healthcare, etc, plus of course keeping up with health issues
such as depleted uranium.   

We've got a summer lecture/speaekr series on civil liberties, and also are
marching in the Fourth of July parade and have a table at the accompanying
fair.

The Olean Fourth of July Parade of course officially will "honor" the
troops.  I actually got a call from the parade coordinator reminding me of
this (I think she was looking for a reason to "kick us out.")   I assured
her that we supported the troops just fine by wanting them to be home and
kept out of predatory wars that wasted lives including their own.   I said
it in more polite terms of course, and she said we were "approved."     I
told her our theme was celebrating the Bill of Rights and defending it even
in times of hardship.    How could she argue with that?   

Our July Fourth parade theme is the Bill of Rights-- last night we made
posters with the relevant parts -- Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly,
Right to a Fair and Public Trial, Freedom of the Press, Freedom from
Seizure, Freedom from Random Searches,  etc.  PRETTY INCENDIARY IDEAS.
We'll be carrying the posters and the "news" that we've lost many of these
rights and more losses may be to come if the Administration has its way.      

I LOVE your theme of the tank taking aim at a schoolhouse.    I think that
if we had the people-power we might try something like that as well.  Well,
maybe next year, unless of course the military and Bush decide to give
back all the money they have grabbed, send the soldiers home, and clean up
the mess we have made abroad and here.

The order of Franciscan nuns who have been on the street (a real "first"
for them) in the middle of downtown Olean every Thursday for a very visible
silent vigil for peace are still out there every single week, with others
out to support them.   This has been a morale booster and a wonderful
inspiration.   Even in heavy snowstorms they haven't missed a single week
since they started.      

What else--  Our first speaker in the summer lecture series was a civil
rights attorney imported from Rochester.    We got 45 people-- not bad for
around here.

Nadine, who is now 11, has been going to the vigils with the nuns, and also
painted beautiful flowers to liven up the Bill of Rights posters.  .   Erek
has been attending events, speaks his mind as always,  and went to New York
City for the Depleted Uranium symposium.    

Barry has been busy working with the Peace Coalition as well, and is
knee-deep in the Fourth of July preparations as well as working on
veterans' issues and reaching out to vets who don't quite see everything
the way we do at this point.

We seem to be, for the most part, establishing a nice relationship with the
local newspaper, which  has run stories about us and also prints up
announcements of our events.    We've had a nice stream of letters ot the
editor as well.   It's interesting they've done this even though the
majority of their articles, of course, are for the war-makers.

So here we are.

My, this is long.   I really appreciate you all and enjoy hearing what's
going on.  Of course, once I get back to Champaign-Urbana I'll try to get
to visit.

Love and peace,
Barbara Dyskant
in finally-not-snowing Olean, New York