Saturday, January 17, 2004 Meeting Notes for People for Peace, Justice, and Healing

Tacoma PJH met January 17, 2004, at Associated Ministries at 10:00 a.m. Present: Karen H., Colleen, Benjie, Sheila, Kyle, Sharon, Sol, Dorothy, Mark J., Rob.

AGENDA:

LEONARD PELTIER UPDATE. PPJH is organizing a dinner at First United Methodist (423 MLK Jr. Way) following the Feb. 7 gathering and march. The spaghetti dinner will be available from 4:00 p.m. on. Organizational challenges remain. A planning meeting will take place next Saturday, with Sheila as one of the coordinators.

[Related message from Ken Jones: "The public is invited to a free screening of 'Incident at Oglala,' the Robert Redford-narrated documentary about the trial of Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Peltier, whom Amnesty International lists as a 'political prisoner' who should be 'immediately and unconditionally released,' has been imprisoned for over 25 years for allegedly participating in the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota in 1975. The film will be followed by a discussion with Arthur Miller of the Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group. The program will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30 at the Unitarian Universalist Association of Tacoma, 1115 South 56th Street (corner of S. 56th and L Streets), 253-474-4646."]

GUADALUPE HOUSE FUNDRAISER UPDATE. The date has been changed to Feb. 21.

US POLITICAL CULTURE. General discussion of US political culture. Benjie described some of his perspectives, speaking briefly about Herbert Marcuse (1989-1979), who argued in *One-Dimensional Man* (1964) that the mass materialism of US culture stifles diversity and freedom while pretending to promote these, and about Adbusters (http://www.adbusters.org/home/), the Vancouver-based anti-consumerist magazine. Discussion of fear and the creation and manipulation of fear in the population as a means of political control.

CAUCUSES. Discussion of presidential campaign. (Several PJHers had to leave before the end of the meeting to attend an orientation session for the Feb. 7 caucuses in Washington State.)

FILM FESTIVAL UPDATE. Rob said a task force meeting will be set up soon, and suggested that members attend the Jan. 30 'Incident at Oglala' showing at UUAT (see above) to get some ideas about format, etc.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BIRTHDAY, MONDAY, JANUARY 19. Meet at 9:45 a.m. at the clock tower near the Tacoma Dome for leafleting prior to the MLK event at the Dome.

2. FEB. 15, 2004 -- THE WORLD SAYS NO TO WAR AGAIN. The local vigil at sunset will be one of the sunset vigils held in thousands of places around the world to mark the anniversary of the largest worldwide demonstration against on Feb. 15, 2003.

3. UNITED FOR PEACE OF PIERCE COUNTY (http://www.ufppc.org) will meet on Jan. 22, 2004, at 7:00 p.m. (regular meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month) at First United Methodist (423 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma).