Olympia Pizza Time franchise owner Richard Kelley locked out all nine striking workers by closing the store on February 21. The last negotiations between Pizza time workers and Kelley broke down when Kelley insisted he would open the store if workers accepted wages below state law. Pizza time workers refused Kelley's unreasonable condition.

by Naomi Jaffe

Granted - more than granted, enthusiastically agreed - the Bushies, red-staters and fundamentalists are arch-hypocrites who profess to care about one brain-dead woman while ignoring, nay, promoting, hunger, mass murder, torture, and misery around the world.

But apart from the predictable, and justified, ridicule of their inconsistency, what does our side really think of the right to life and the right to death? Who should decide, and on what basis? Are we hypocrites too, defending some lives and not others?

by Patty Imani

On March 8 we participated in the 6 Annual Global Women's Strike here in Olympia. Friends gathered at Sylvester Park and shared music, food, and thoughts concerning the state of women's continuing fight to live while challenging oppression nationally and globally.

Sixteen women shared music and stories of their work in the community challenging poverty and war, and the devaluing, objectification, and appropriation of women's lives and labor. The affects of these assaults take so many forms, as does the work we do. What is common in our work is our endurance in continuously . . .

by Simona Sharoni

As the second anniversary of the war on Iraq approaches and the death toll of U.S troops tops 1500, many soldiers return to our communities. To end the war, we must listen to their war stories rather then rely solely on peace marches. This challenge requires that we step outside of our comfort zone and talk to people whose political views may differ from ours. We ought to expose ourselves to the reality of war as experienced by our friends, neighbors and coworkers. Those of us who have organized and participated in countless peace demonstrations over the years are well aware . . .

by Simona Sharoni

Following the publication of my article "To End the War, Listen to Soldiers' Stories," which is reprinted here, I was invited to mark the second anniversary of the war in Iraq in Fayetteville, NC. Fayetteville is the closest community to Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the United States. Fayetteville has earned the nicknames of Fatalville and Fayettenam. Unusual and not-sounusual features of the town include gross income inequalities, an extraordinarily high incidence of venereal disease, miles and miles of strip malls, and a history of racial violence. I . . .

by Robert Jensen

First, a disclaimer: Given all the fussing about dangerous radical professors these days, I should make it clear that while I teach at the University of Texas at Austin, I don't speak for the university. (Not that anyone at this rally would ever imagine that I do.) I repeat: What I'm about to say is not official policy of the University of Texas. In case anyone was confused, the University of Texas is not a radical institution and is not committed to anti-empire politics.

by David Lavender

I traveled recently to Brazil. Much of the time I spent there I was involved with Via Campesina and the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST). My travels included the inauguration of the MST's Escola Nacional Florestan Fernandes near the city of Guararema, hanging out in the city of Sao Paulo (one of the world's largest cities which recently celebrated its 450th anniversary), in Porto Alegre for the World Social Forum, and near Candiotta in the south of Brazil at a MST settlement. The following is a brief overview of these groups and my experiences in Brazil.

by Drew Hendricks

On March 24, the Green Party of South Puget Sound decided to petition the Port of Olympia Commissioners to change the name of our Port to "Peace Port of Thurston County."

We would rather run a candidate for one or both of the seats up for election this Fall, but we could find no candidate after three months of trying to identify someone within the districts up for election. Instead, the name change campaign is our backup plan of action against the militarization of the Port.