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For Libby Smith, 65, it was the frustration that her political involvement didn’t seem to influence anyone.
For Andrew Tuttle, 23, it was the homeless family living in the bus stop near his Wallingford house.
Garth Donald, 27, was inspired by protests in the Middle East where young people sparked revolutions through protest.
The 50-or-so individuals who turned out for an Occupy Seattle protest against corporate control of government had different motivations but agreed that taking to the streets was necessary to change the country.
The local protest at Westlake Park Saturday morning was one of dozens echoing across the country in response to weeks-long protests in New York City by a youth movement called Occupy Wall Street.
Like those in New York, Seattle protesters were largely young. A few wore dollar bills taped across their mouths.
Those who helped organize the protest said it drew all kinds of people who want more control over their own government.
“It’s amazing the diversity and the singular voice that we have,” said Albert Postema, of Snohomish.
He and his daughter traveled to New York to participate in protests there, and he helped bring the cause back to Seattle. On Saturday, he wore a noose around his neck, taping and un-taping a dollar-bill across his face as needed so he could arrange the protesters into a circle.
“Banks got bailed out, you got sold out!” they chanted.
Jon Ramer, 53, said he wanted to show protesters on Wall Street that they aren’t alone, though their protests are most visible.
“A lot of people feel as if we’ve lost a legitimate way to govern ourselves,” he said.
Older people in the group said they wanted to show that it was more than just a young person’s movement.
Smith has been politically involved for years, she said, but the last time she joined a protest was during the Vietnam War.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney warned heads will “explode” in Washington with tomorrow’s release of his new memoir “In My Time” – and so it began on Sunday, with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who dismissed as “cheap shots” the criticism leveled at him, Condoleezza Rice and others in the book It was the latest volley in a clash that stretches back to their first years in the George W. Bush administration, reports the AP. Cheney told NBC News last week, “There are going to be heads exploding all over Washington” after people read the book. “My head isn’t exploding. I haven’t noticed any other heads exploding in Washington,” Powell said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “From what I’ve read in the newspapers and seen on television it’s essentially a rehash of events of seven or eight years ago.” Cheney and Powell had numerous disagreements in the administration, particularly over policy toward Iraq and the run-up to the 2003 invasion by U.S.-led forces. In his book, Cheney says he believes Powell tried to undermine Bush by expressing his worry about the Iraq War in private conversations. “It was as though he thought the proper way to express his views was by criticizing administration policy to people outside the government,” Cheney writes. Cheney says he pushed for Powell to be removed from the administration after the 2004 election, writing Powell’s resignation “was for the best.” On Sunday, Powell termed “nonsense” Cheney’s description of how Powell went outside with his criticism of administration policies. Powell also suggested that Cheney wrongly took credit for Powell’s resignation from the State Department in 2004; Powell said he had always planned to serve only four years. “Mr. Cheney has had a long and distinguished career and I hope in his book that’s what he will focus on, not these cheap shots that he’s taking at me and other members of the administration who served to the best of our ability for President Bush,” Powell said.
Also in the book, Cheney goes after former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for her “naivete” in her efforts to negotiate a nuclear weapons agreement with North Korea. The book also details Cheney’s view that “he saw no need to apologize” for the controversial words included in Bush’s 2003 State of the Union about Iraq’s supposed search for uranium in Niger that helped justify the war in Iraq. Cheney’s writes that Rice eventually agreed with him, and she “tearfully admitted I had been right.” On “Face the Nation,” Powell labeled as “almost condescending” the tone of Cheney’s criticism of Rice, who succeeded him as secretary of state. Regarding the current president, Powell, who famously crossed party lines to vote for President Obama in 2008, said Sunday that he’s not necessarily supporting him for reelection in 2012. “I haven’t decided who I’m going to vote for,” Powell said. “Just as was the case in 2008, I am going to watch the campaign unfold. In the course of my life I have voted for Democrats, I have voted for Republicans, I have changed from one four-year cycle to another. “I’ve always felt it my responsibility as a citizen to take a look at the issues, examine the candidates, and pick the person that I think is best qualified for the office of the president in that year. And not just solely on the basis of party affiliation,” he said. Asked about the Republican field, Powell said there are some “interesting candidates,” but no one who has “emerged into the leading position.” “So let’s see if anybody else is going to join, and we’ve got a long way to go,” he added.
With all the commentaries coming from various states regarding Arizona’s decision on
in essence profiling, have you look into your own backyards for justice.
I’m not upholding Arizona’s decision, but for other states to get on the band wagon is
not fare. To denied essential goods into the state whether commerce or social activities.
is not right. We do understand there is a serious plight of unemployment throughout the
nation, this effects more than just your average commentaries. Let the politicians hammer
out a definitive agreement, with a compromise for all involved. I’m not saying I agree or
disagree, but be fair in your judgement analysis of immigration.
At this point, I believe most Americans would accept the jobs folks thought we wouldn’t
work. Bills have to be paid, families cared for and raised. The state in which I reside wants
to ban certain aspects of Arizona to our state, are you kidding me. Our city is a mess let’s
try to cleanup our own backyard prior to denouncing another. With any decisions comes changes
and challenges, how we cope with those states who we are.
High School Finances Student’s Secret Abortion. A Seattle mother is furious after learning that her 15-year-old daughter was sent by her school’s health center for a secret abortion, reports ABC-affiliate KOMO, reports Patrick B. Craine, LifeSiteNews.com. The mother, identified only as “Jill,” says her daughter was given a pregnancy test at Ballard High School’s Teen Health Center, which came back positive. Rather than informing the parents, she said, the center gave the girl a pass and put her in a taxi for the abortuary, all during school hours. “They just told her that if she concealed it from her family, that it would be free of charge and no financial responsibility,” Jill said. She added that she had signed a consent form allowing her daughter to be treated at the health center, thinking it covered issues like earaches, sports physicals, or even contraception, but wasn’t aware they would be arranging abortions. “Nowhere in this paperwork does it mention abortion or facilitating abortion.” she said. “Signing this paper makes me feel like my rights were completely stripped away.” T.J. Cosgrove of the King County Health Department, which oversees the center, explained that Washington state does not recognize parents’ opinions on such issues. “At any age in the state of Washington, an individual can consent to a termination of pregnancy,” he said.
New Redskins QB McNabb Eager to get Revenge on Eagles. It could be argued that two earthquakes took place yesterday evening – one along the California/Mexico border, the other in the NFC East. After weeks of speculation as to where Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb would be traded, news broke Sunday night that the veteran QB is headed to the Washington Redskins for a pair of draft picks. According to reports, the Eagles will receive a second-round pick (37th overall) in this month’s NFL draft and either a third- or fourth-round pick next year. “I’m really excited about my future with the Washington Redskins,” McNabb said in a statement Sunday night. “I’m eager to work with Coach [Mike] Shanahan. He’s been a very successful coach with a couple of Super Bowl victories on his resume. While it has been my goal to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, we came up short. I enjoyed my 11 years, and know we shared a lot more good times than bad.” Former Redskins and Eagles player Brian Mitchell of Comcast SportsNet says he spoke with McNabb on the phone, and his former teammate seemed energetic about his new destination. “In his voice I heard a lot of enthusiasm,” Mitchell reported on Comcast SportsNet. “And you know, he may not be exactly like me, but I could hear he had a little revenge in that voice, too. And he wants to go to the Eagles and show them that they made a mistake.” League sources told Schefter that McNabb wanted to play for the Redskins and not the Raiders or the Bills, which is why the trade happened. “Donovan McNabb was more than a franchise quarterback for this team,” Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said. “He truly embodied all of the attributes of a great quarterback and of a great person. He has been an excellent representative of this organization and the entire National Football League both on and off the field. I look forward to honoring him as one of the greatest Eagles of all-time and hopefully see him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton one day.”