Our Thanks to the Late Comedian These excerpts are from his relevant comedy soliloquy from the late 1990s:

As far as I?m concerned, all of this airport security ? the cameras, the questions, the screening, the searches, is just one more way of reducing your liberty and reminding you they can fuck with you anytime they want, as long as you?re willing to put up with it. Which means, of course, anytime they want. Because that?s the way Americans are now. They?re always willing to trade away a little of their freedom for the feeling ? the illusion ? of security.

You have got to be realistic about terrorism. Ya gotta be a realist: Certain groups of people ? muslim fundamentalists, christian fundamentalists, jewish fundamentalists, and just plain guys from Montana ? are going to continue to make life in this country very interesting for a long, long time. That?s the reality. Angry men in combat fatigues talking to god on a two-way radio and muttering incoherent slogans about freedom are eventually going to provide us with a great deal of entertainment. These excerpts are from his relevant comedy soliloquy from the late 1990s:

As far as I?m concerned, all of this airport security ? the cameras, the questions, the screening, the searches, is just one more way of reducing your liberty and reminding you they can fuck with you anytime they want, as long as you?re willing to put up with it. Which means, of course, anytime they want. Because that?s the way Americans are now. They?re always willing to trade away a little of their freedom for the feeling ? the illusion ? of security.

You have got to be realistic about terrorism. Ya gotta be a realist: Certain groups of people ? muslim fundamentalists, christian fundamentalists, jewish fundamentalists, and just plain guys from Montana ? are going to continue to make life in this country very interesting for a long, long time. That?s the reality. Angry men in combat fatigues talking to god on a two-way radio and muttering incoherent slogans about freedom are eventually going to provide us with a great deal of entertainment.
Fear and Flying (late 1990s)

I?m getting tired of the security at the airport. I?m tired of someone with a double-digit IQ and a triple-digit income rootin? around in my bag for no reason and never finding anything. Haven?t found anything yet. Haven?t found one bomb in one bag. .... The whole thing is fuckin? pointless.

And it?s completely without logic. They?ll take away a gun but let you keep a knife. Well, what the fuck is that? In fact, there?s a whole list of lethal objects they allow you to take on board. Theoretically, you could take a knife, an icepick, a hatchet, a straight razor, a pair of scissors, a chain saw, six knitting needles, and a broken whiskey bottle, and the only thing they would say to you is, ?That bag has to fit all the way under the seat in front of you.?

And if you didn?t take a weapon on board, relax. After you?ve been flying about an hour, they?re gonna bring you a knife and fork! They actually give you a fucking knife. It?s only a table knife, but you could kill a pilot with a table knife. It might take a couple of minutes. Especially if he?s hefty. But you could get the job done. If you really wanted to kill the prick.

Shit, there are a lot of things you could use to kill a guy. You could probably beat a guy to death with the Sunday New York Times, couldn?t you? Suppose you just have really big hands? Couldn?t you strangle a flight attendant? Shit, you could probably strangle two of them, one with each hand. That is, if you were lucky enough to catch ?em in that little kitchen area. Just before they break out the fuckin? peanuts. But you could get the job done. If you really cared enough.

So why is it they allow a man with big, powerful hands to get on board an airplane? I?ll tell you why. They know he?s not a security risk, because he?s already answered the three big questions. Question number one:

?Did you pack your bags yourself??

?No, Carrot Top packed my bags. He and Martha Stewart and Florence Henderson came over to my house last night, fixed me a lovely lobster Newburg, gave me a full body massage with sacred oils from India, performed a four-way around-the-world and then packed my bags. Next question.?

?Have your bags been in your possession the whole time??

?No. Usually the night before I travel ? just as the moon is rising ? I place my suitcases out on the streetcorner and leave them there, unattended, for several hours. Just for good luck. Next question."

?Has any unknown person asked you to take anything on board??

?Well, what exactly is an ?unknown person?? Surely everyone is known to someone. In fact, just this morning, Kareem and Yousuf Ali ben Gabba seemed to know each other quite well. They kept joking about which one of my suitcases was the heaviest.?

And that?s another thing they don?t like at the airport. Jokes. You can?t joke about a bomb. Well, why is it just jokes? What about a riddle? How about a limerick? How about a bomb anecdote? You know, no punch line, just a really cute story. Or suppose you intended the remark not as a joke but as an ironic musing? Are they prepared to make that distinction? I think not! And besides, who?s to say what?s funny?

Airport security is a stupid idea. It?s a waste of money and it?s there for only one reason: to make white people feel safe. That?s all it?s for. To provide a feeling, an illusion, of safety in order to placate the middle class. The authorities know they can?t make airplanes safe; Too many people have access. You?ll notice that drug smugglers don?t seem to have a lot of trouble getting their little packages on board, do they? No. And God bless them, too.

And by the way, an airplane flight shouldn?t be completely safe. You need a little danger in your life. Take a fuckin? chance, will ya? What are you gonna do, play with your prick for another 30 years? Are you gonna read People and eat at Wendy?s till the end of time? Take a fuckin? chance!

Besides, even if they made all of the airplanes completely safe, the terrorists would simply start bombing other places that are crowded: pawnshops, crackhouses, titty bars, and gang bangs. You know, entertainment venues. The odds of your being killed by a terrorist are practically zero. So I say, relax and enjoy the show.

You have got to be realistic about terrorism. Ya gotta be a realist: Certain groups of people ? muslim fundamentalists, christian fundamentalists, jewish fundamentalists, and just plain guys from Montana ? are going to continue to make life in this country very interesting for a long, long time. That?s the reality. Angry men in combat fatigues talking to god on a two-way radio and muttering incoherent slogans about freedom are eventually going to provide us with a great deal of entertainment.

Especially after your stupid fuckin? economy collapses all around you, and the terrorists come out of the woodwork. And you?ll have anthrax in the water supply and sarin gas in the air conditioners; There?ll be chemical and biological suitcase bombs in every city, and I say, ?Relax, enjoy it! Enjoy the show! Take a fuckin? chance. Put a little fun in your life.?

....

But I also know that most Americans are soft, frightened, unimaginative people who have no idea there?s such a thing as dangerous fun. And they certainly don?t recognize good entertainment when they see it. I have always been willing to put myself at great personal risk for the sake of entertainment. And I?ve always been willing to put you at great personal risk for the same reason.

As far as I?m concerned, all of this airport security ? the cameras, the questions, the screening, the searches, is just one more way of reducing your liberty and reminding you they can fuck with you anytime they want, as long as you?re willing to put up with it. Which means, of course, anytime they want. Because that?s the way Americans are now. They?re always willing to trade away a little of their freedom for the feeling ? the illusion ? of security.

Exxon Enough ! " Won't you help us stand against the monster?"
Jefferson Airplane They came to Dallas, the fat cats with their fat purses and their love of flatulent refineries and chemical processing plants, which along with their noxious clouds of toxicity produce even more lard in the tightly clutched purses. They came in their stretched cars whose voracious appetites provide ever more lucre for the monster off of whom they all feed.

Outside were those who live downwind from their plants. Locked outside with a line of police between them and the doors were those whose children are forced to breathe the foul exhalations of the luxurious conveyances. These 60 to 80 people came equipped with the dedication of the Dallas Peace Center, the stubbornness of North Texas for Justice and Peace, the enthusiasm of UNT's SDS and the clout of nationwide organizations, such as the hard won moral authority of Iraq Veterans Against War, the Wobblies' disdain for the corporate establishment, Consumers for Peace's tenacity in opposing Exxon Mobil, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's firm belief that right will prevail.In a strong speech to the gathering the SCLC's president, Charles Kenzie Steele Jr. said that in order to cause change, it will be necessary to shut down the nation. He called on us all to come next year prepared to go to jail.

Adam Kokesh, a board member of Iraq Veterans Against the War told us how Exxon is making obscene profits off of the occupation of Iraq. He told us that IVAW is working to end the occupation, ensure that veterans get their benefits, and ensure reparations to the Iraqi people. They are working to end the occupation by eroding support for the occupation ("Without support, there is no occupation.") and by supporting the GI resistance movement.

So, how will this confrontation between the fat cats and the little people turn out? The fat cats have an enormous amount of power, but, like so many other people and organizations, their greed has caused them to rip so much from the people, that the people are showing signs of being shaken out of their comfortable apathy, but as Reverend Steele said, a change in tactics is necessary. Action needs to continue throughout the year. There needs to be a boycott, not only against Exxon, but against the entire industry. We must all make a commitment to use public transportation whenever possible. Whenever it isn't possible, such as at events out of town, we must all carpool, living by the maxim of "never an empty seat".

Next year starts now! The actions of Exxon Mobil affect the whole world and we must start early to attract people and press from around the world. We need to carry our message not only to the streets outside the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center, but also to the meeting inside. This year, Nick Mottern, of Consumers for Peace, was inside the meeting. Next year, we need a large enough group, inside the meeting, that our message can't be ignored. Have you bought your Exxon Mobil shares yet? attachments/jun2008/crowd.jpg attachments/jun2008/sclc.jpg attachments/jun2008/adamk.jpg

People Marching to Preserve the Past and Improve the Future. "The new AIM will not be totally native. The new AIM will be young whites. The new AIM will be young blacks. The new AIM will be young Asians."

Dennis Banks "The new AIM will not be totally native. The new AIM will be young whites. The new AIM will be young blacks. The new AIM will be young Asians." ---- Dennis Banks

Activists in North Texas have had a part in planning the Longest Walk 2, which is going through Oklahoma in May, 2008.(see the full feature article, link below)
In February, 2007, Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), visited Camp Casey at the invitation of Carl Rising-Moore. Banks was trying to plan a route from Alcatraz, in San Francisco Bay, to Washington, DC. A group visited from nearby Dallas, to spend an evening sitting around a campfire and speaking with Banks. The next day, some of the group participated in a sweatlodge.
Don Hatch (white hair) with Dennis Banks to his left, flanked by 2 Longest Walkers from Poland

While sitting around the campfire, Dennis told the group why he was planning a cross country route. In 1978, a group of Native American activists had walked from Alcatraz to DC. That trek was called the Longest Walk. Now, there was to be a "Longest Walk 2" to commemorate the first walk. The second walk would leave Alcatraz thirty years after the first one on February 11, 2008 to arrive in DC on July 11. They would divide into two groups, one taking a northern route, while the others take a southern route. Besides commemorating the first Longest Walk, Longest Walk 2 would also pick up trash across the country and work to draw attention to sacred sites and the need to protect them.

More regarding the current group's movement through Oklahoma....

The Longest Walk 2 left Alcatraz on schedule and had been traveling across the country ever since. The walkers on the southern route rested in Canton, in northwest Oklahoma, over the weekend of May 3rd and 4th.

Camping in Canton, Oklahoma
A group left Dallas for Canton, a town comparable in size to Crawford, on Friday, May 2nd, in order to visit the walkers. Canton is in Cheyenne and Arapaho country. The walkers were camping at the Canton Indian Community Center. There were tents outside, tents inside, and people busy at the various tasks associated with running an encampment.

There was an amazing assortment of people and a tremendous diversity of ethnicity around the center. There were natives from all around the United States, including Alaska. There was a native from Canada and one from Mexico, who claimed descent from the Aztec. There was a couple from Hawaii, who had a daughter of toddler age. "June-San" came from upstate New York, was of Japanese descent. Two boys around 20 years of age, who had come with her, worked on meal preparation.

The talk around the center was about a sweat lodge planned at "Viola's house" for that evening. Dennis Banks was to drive in, and conduct the sweat. Viola's house turned out to be the home of Don and Viola Hatch, just south of Canton. Don is a white former merchant marine, who retired, when he married Viola, a tiny Cheyenne woman. Their front and back yards were full of people, and more people were scattered throughout the house. In the front yard was a tall tipi, with smaller tents scattered around it. In the back was the sweatlodge. It was made from cut limbs and branches, tied together so as to form a dome 5-6 feet in radius and covered with tarps. Also in the back was a huge bonfire, which appeared to contain an entire cord of wood. Scattered around the fire were 100 volcanic rocks.

Before long, Dennis and his niece drove up. Dennis gathered the people who planned to go into the sweat lodge around him. He said that the sweat would be heated by 100 rocks, and so would be no place for beginners. It would consist of four rounds of 15 minutes apiece. Twenty five rocks would be brought into the sweatlodge before each round.

People who would participate in the sweat undressed in the yard and wrapped towels or blankets around themselves. Dennis was the first to crawl into the lodge. He turned left at the door and crawled all of the way around the lodge, so that he ended up sitting to the right of the flap by which he had entered. He was followed by the women and the men came last. Over 30 people crawled into the lodge. It was 8:00.

The last person to enter the lodge was the "flap man". He was responsible for lowering the flap at the beginning of each round, and lifting it at the end of each round. The "fire man" stayed outside the lodge. He was responsible for carrying the hot rocks from the fire to the lodge on a pitchfork. He would stick the pitchfork into the lodge through the open flap and lay it on the ground. The flap man would carry the pitchfork the rest of the way to the hole in the middle of the lodge, where he would lay the rock. As each rock was laid in the hole, a woman would sprinkle some sage onto it.

As soon as the first 25 rocks were placed in the pit, the flap man closed the flap. Some light leaked in around the bottom of the tarps. People quickly tucked in the tarps, until the only light in the lodge was the red glow of the rocks. Your eyes never adjusted to the dark, so that for the duration of the sweat you saw nobody, except when the flap was open between rounds.

Dennis began by telling the people that the rocks are called "grandfathers" and that each grandfather has a lesson to teach. He said that the sweat was a religious ceremony. It would be a time of lessons, prayer and song. He then told us about his sister, whose childhood love of sweets had been indulged by their parents, until it had become an addiction to sugar and she had died of diabetes at age 38. With Dennis playing a hand drum, the participants sang, the women's voices adding a beautiful keening quality to the songs.

Near the end of the first round, and again during each round, water was sprinkled on the grandfathers, adding a whole new dimension, humidity, to the heat inside the lodge.

When Dennis proclaim the first round over (it had seemed a lot longer than 15 minutes), the flap was raised and using the same method as before the first round, twenty five new grandfathers were placed in the fire pit. Dennis invited each participant to offer a short prayer. Prayers were offered in a number of languages, including a prayer for Dallas activist Hadi Jawad, who had undergone open heart surgery shortly before. One lady prayed that she would learn her language, so as to better communicate with the spirits. Another prayed that women would play more important roles in religious ceremonies. One man said that he had come hoping to learn how to be a warrior, and was somewhat disillusioned to be walking along picking up trash. Dennis replied that while in jail, he had hated going out on details to pick up trash, but that in today's world, one of a warrior's most important jobs is to work to protect and improve the environment. The most recent battle fought by AIM was fought alongside the Havasupai people, who live in the Grand Canyon. Together, they were working to get chromium out of the Colorado River. One of the participants reported that his brother was the "Chief of All Nations".

During the later rounds, the heat became oppressive. Dennis said that noone had ever died during a sweatlodge. He said that if anyone got too hot, he or she should "kiss the ground". As people began to drop out of the sweat, there was room to lie down. Getting close to the ground gave a little relief from the heat... very little.

"The new AIM will not be totally native", Dennis said. "The new Aim will have young whites. The new AIM will have young blacks. The new AIM will have young Asians."

The heat in the sweatlodge caused lightheadedness and altered perception. One participant, when told that the fourth round was reaching its end, thought it was the third round. He concluded that he had either passed out or been in a trance during the third round.

Towards the end of the fourth round, Dennis' niece told us that everything Dennis had said in the sweat was a teaching, which it was our duty to spread. Now, as I said before, it's dark in the sweatlodge, but there was plenty of light outside, so that it was very apparent when the flap was opened, or when someone crawled through it. Despite this, Dennis' niece had been speaking for some time before I realized that Dennis was no longer with us. He had slipped out of that sweatlodge as quietly and as unnoticed as he had once, long ago, slipped out of Wounded Knee. The sweat ended at 11:15.

The next day, there was a fund-raising pow-wow gourd-dance in Watonga, some 25 miles south of Canton. Another purpose of the pow-wow was to honor Dennis and Don Hatch. There were 8 to 10 drummers and singers seated in a circle around two large drums in the middle of the large room. Surrounding them was a space for dancing, and around that was seating for a few hundred. Also, as at so many similar events, vendors had tables set up, selling t-shirts and food and drink, including fresh raccoon meat. Some people, including 6 to 8 adults and one boy, between 10 and 15 years of age, and one girl between 8 and 10 years of age stood between the seating area and the dancing area playing rattles. A few women stood and performed a rocking dance-like movement on the balls of their feet.

Dennis spoke of the reason for the first Longest Walk. Two representatives from Oregon had proposed legislation which would take away many of the Native Americans' rights. After the Longest Walk, the legislation was defeated and so were the two legislators in the next election.

At first, there was just drumming and singing, with no dancing. Then, there were dances in honor of different people in attendance.

After the dance honoring Don Hatch, Dennis told how he met Don. Dennis and Russell Means had come to Canton back in the '70s, to help the Hatches fight the Canton School District, who wouldn't let their son attend because of his long hair.

The AIM National Anthem was played to honor Dennis. Of course, everyone wanted to dance and so honor him. At the end of the dance, everyone, led by Dennis, turned and raised their fists in the power sign over the drummers and singers.

Dennis then told us the story of how the anthem came to be. Back during the '70s, a South Dakota man named Raymond Yellow Thunder had died during winter. The authorities had ruled that the death was the result of exposure. AIM, not believing that a South Dakota native would not have known to get out of the weather, hired their own coroner and brought him from Minneapolis. The body was exhumed and the coroner determined that Yellow Thunder had not died of exposure but from blunt force trauma. He was even able to tell that the weapon was a tire iron. While AIM was reburying Yellow Thunder, a Northern Cheyenne had started singing. His song was adopted as the AIM National Anthem.

Before the dance to honor the long walkers, Dennis told how cleaning up the countryside had become a mission of the Longest Walk 2. Dennis, along with a visitor from Asia, had stopped in the Navajo lands to cut some sage. They had found the spot covered in broken glass and trash. The visitor had asked "Why do they do it?" Then and there, Dennis had decided that picking up trash and teaching the sacredness of Mother Earth would be an important part of the Longest Walk 2. Over ten thousand trash bags have been donated, and over 4,600 have been filled.

Dennis revealed yet another purpose for the second Longest Walk. When they reached Washington, Dennis looked forward to "passing the staff" of leadership to the young (youth was a recurring theme with Dennis throughout the weekend), giving up organizing and being "just another walker".

The dance to honor the longest walkers was The Longest Walk: The Alcatraz Version. Dennis said that its composition had not been completed yet. Each day's journey and each new place visited would add to it. By the time they reach Washington, it could be two hours long.

During the dance, the Long Walkers stood at the front of he room, in a place of honor; and well we might honor them. There were natives, whites, Poles, Asians, and Buddhist monks. In all, there were between 50 and 100 standing there. These walkers, so diverse in their cultures, places of origin and upbringings had all come together for a group of common purposes, to honor their past, while working to improve everybody's future. They were showing fortitude in the face of adversity. These walkers on the southern route had traveled through a snowstorm in New Mexico's Raton Pass, and those on the northern route had encountered tornadoes in Kansas. Despite the tribulations, the attitude was happy and optimistic. Anybody who visits or joins the walkers will enjoy a life-altering experience. Anyone who supports them, financially or otherwise, will be helping people with very worthwhile causes.
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Owner hopes good will come of this experience Jim Goodnow and his bus, the Yellow Rose, both have suffered a terrible tragedy. In recent months, Jim has been providing transportation to Iraq Veterans Against the War for their various tours and other activities. Last night, Jim escaped a fire of suspicious origins that destroyed the bus. Luckily Jim is all right.
Jim Goodnow and his bus, the Yellow Rose, both have suffered a terrible tragedy.

In recent months, Jim has been providing transportation to Iraq Veterans Against the War for their various tours and other activities. Last night, Jim escaped a fire of suspicious origins that destroyed the bus. Luckily Jim is all right.


This message was passed on by Bill Perry, a vet, anti war activist and member of Delaware Valley Veterans For America.

Bill Perry wrote:

The bus in this photo, is the Yellow Rose. It was totaled by fire, around 9:30 pm, Friday night, 1/11/08

This bus, often mired in controversy since the IVAW "Dirty South"tour that left Philly in June, and had Active Duty BBQ's @ Ft Meade, Ft Jackson, Camp Lejeune, Ft Benning, and other Southern Military Posts (Including an IVAW benefit by Tom Morello, of Rage Against the Machine, and AudioSlave, in Virginia) as well as backdrop for many a Demonstration, and Ft Drum, NY, organizing parties, has suffered much damage.


This photo shows the huge "Don't Attack Iran" and "Impeach Bush" logos, that let everybody on the highway know just how the occupants felt about the state of the state.

Owner~Operator~Driver and member of Veterans For Peace, Jim Goodnow pulled into a South Jersey Truck Stop, to catch a 3 or 4 hour nap. Jim saw, in retrospect, some suspicious activity outside the bus, and about 20 minutes later, the entire engine compartment, and back of the bus was engulfed in flames.

Mr Goodnow speculates that the cause could have been anything from ARSON, to ATTEMPTED MURDER. He plans to notify the ATF Arson Squad on Saturday morning.
Stay tuned....
Be Well, RAISE HELL !
Bill Perry
Delaware Valley Veterans For America
Disabled American Veteran, VVAW, VFP, VFW, VVA

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A fund has been set up and is tax deductible:
Checks can be made out to:
Veterans For Peace, Chapter 106 (please spell this out) Put in memo line: BUS FUND
Mail to:
Bernie Jezercak
1804 Tree LIne Drive
Carrollton, TX 75007
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Urging Bush to Push Masharraf The demonstration on Prairie Chapel Road at the Bush Ranch and a panel discussion that followed at the Crawford Texas Peace House.
The demonstration on Prairie Chapel Road at the Bush Ranch and a panel discussion that followed at the Crawford Texas Peace House.






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