From Alaskans for Peace & Justice (Anchorage)

March 18th 12:00 pm
Three Year Anniversary of the Iraq War Protest
Dimond Center Area (across from Value Village)
3 years and what has been gained, what has been lost and at
what cost? Gather to show your support for peace. Bring your friends and family. Bring appropriate signs, props and energy to mark this
milestone.

a value village near dimond center? you mean on northern lights? i need to get out more....

I think there's a Salvation Army thrift store right there, too.

I can't even look at him on TV without gagging. What a tool!

you mean where that big rubber band thing they used to shoot people into the air with?

My guess is if you show up at the Dimond Center parking lot, on the Dimond side, you'll be able to find us. Look for the signs.

That rubber band thingie seems like it springs up as soon as the snow melts every spring! I wouldn't get on that thing for anything!

that thing looks dangerous!

Peace & Justice's great ad in this morning's paper in the front section. It would be great to see some fellow DUers there.

How did the protest go? My husband is in the AF and we received an e-mail from someone at the base "strongly urging" everyone to stay as far away from it as possible. That's total crap, if you ask me. I would have gone anyways, but I had to work.

I'm new here, btw. I just wanted to say "hi" to my fellow Alaska dems (all five of us). Take care!

There really are a few more than five of us Alaskans here at DU - it's just that many of them don't stop in here at the state forum for some reason. The demonstration went well and we got a lot of support from the passersby - a few taunts and middle fingers, but many, many more "honks for peace." There were somewhere between 60 and 150 of us out there, but it was kind of hard to tell how many exactly because we were spread out and people kept returning to their cars to warm up. I heard someone say they counted 57, but Martha Shaddy from Peace & Justice reported 150. The truth was probably closer to 100.

That's too bad about the Air Force, but about what one would expect, I guess. Our demonstration was really very respectful and supportive of the troops. No matter what they think, peace IS patriotic. Maybe next time you can join us.

And, again, welcome to DU. I think this place will really save your sanity.

I just don't feel like I fit in in Alaska. All of these guys with "W" stickers on their pickups and moose head trophies on their walls just aren't my type. I recently met a young man who, after discovering that I am a democrat, called me a "gun-snatching, baby-killing, fa**ot-lover." I'm so sick of the intolerance and the hate. Fortunately, I work for a company that could quite possibly be the most liberal in the state. We're a publishing company with no official political affiliation, however it seems that 100% of us are registered democrats, so I can get away with having liberal propaganda in my office and venting about the shit heads in our government all day long. Anyone looking for a job? It's really such a welcome environment in a state that can be so hostile toward free-thinkers.

I haven't encountered anything like that in a long time, but I've been here for over 30 years and know who my friends are, and the rest of them I just kind of laugh at. When you said you were new here, did you mean new to DU or new to Alaska (or both)?

I'm new to DU (just joined a couple of weeks ago) and sort of new to Alaska. My husband is in the Air Force and we moved here in December of 2004. We have about another two years left before we head out, and I'm trying to make the most of it while I can. We moved here from Texas, which was horrible. We lived there during the last presidential election and we were constantly harassed for displaying our Kerry/Edwards paraphernalia. Never mind that my husband is devoting his life to serving our country, we're still "unpatriotic America-haters." It's tough to find friends in the military who don't think we're scrum, however we DO have one buddy who still has a Dukakis bumper sticker on his car. Talk about not being able to let go . . .

Thanks for welcoming me!

Both. :) Here's a link to Alaskans for Peace & Justice which will help to connect you with the local Peaceniks, if you're interested. It's a small but active group, and if you get on their mailing list, you can learn of all kinds of things going on in town.

http://www.alaskans4peace.org/