Author: WillAtInspireSeattle

InspireSeattle invites YOU to join us at our Social Forum: Saturday, May 7th at 6:30PM.

Main discussion topic for this evening: Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): is this Asian trade agreement good or bad for America (and Americans)?

President Obama’s Office of the United States Trade Representative frames the TPP as “INCREASING AMERICAN EXPORTS, SUPPORTING AMERICAN JOBS”. Is this true? At what cost?

Obama announced the United States’ intention to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to conclude an ambitious, next-generation, Asia-Pacific trade agreement that “reflects U.S. economic priorities and values”. Obama states this will boost U.S. economic growth and support the creation and retention of high-quality American jobs by increasing exports in a region that includes some of the world’s most robust economies and that represents nearly 40 percent of global GDP. The US is negotiating the TPP with 11 other countries (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam). The TPP is the cornerstone of the Obama Administration’s economic policy in the Asia Pacific. As a group, the TPP countries are the largest goods and services export market of the United States. U.S. goods exported to TPP countries totaled $698 billion in 2013, representing 44 percent of total U.S. goods exports.

Clearly this proposed TPP has been a hot topic this election season, with some presidential candidates for it, some against it. (Hillary Clinton has been both for and against it!). On the “against” side, some candidates argue that this deal would mimic the effects of NAFTA by exporting jobs, lowering wages, and leading to greater income inequality. Even more, what has been left out of this conversation is the impact of the TPP on several aspects of our economy and legal system. The TPP increases the length of drug patents, limits our ability to regulate Wall Street, affects copyright laws and the internet, and as will be presented at the meeting, poses a serious threat to our ability to fight climate change. In this 5000 page document, the words “climate change” are not even mentioned. Instead, the deal grants corporations a powerful tool against our ability to fight climate change. This tool — the Investor-State Dispute Settlement system (ISDS) — threatens our sovereignty and our climate by allowing foreign corporations to demand damages in foreign trade tribunals over laws designed to protect the public and our environment.

Clearly trade is critical for the US in our global economy. This discussion is to evaluate the pros and cons of the TPP and its likely impact on Americans, and the planet.

Please join us for this important discussion!

Guest Speaker: Selden Prentice

Selden Prentice is a retired lawyer and college instructor who now volunteers full-time with the climate change group, 350Seattle. She leads the trade policy workgroup which is currently focused on the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership.

About InspireSeattle

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org contact.html.

When: May 7th at 6:30PM. Please try to be on time!!!

Where: Carrie Bogner’s place, 1120 24th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112. Home # is 206-280-4214.

Directions: (easy to find!) Click here for a map: http://goo.gl/maps/IIHhE

From 520, Eastbound: Take the Lake Washington Exit, go right at the light on to E. Montlake which quickly turns into 24th Ave E. Go up the hill then go left onto Highland Dr. The entrance to the house is in the alley between 24th and 25th, but please park on Highland Dr or on 25th Ave. It is the 2nd house on the west side of the alley (from Highland Dr) and has a 3 car garage. Front door is on the south side of the house. Look for signs at the alley entrance!

From 520, Westbound: Take the Lake Washington Exit, go right at the stop sign, then go left at the light on to E. Montlake which quickly turns into 24th Ave E. Go up the hill then go left onto Highland Dr. The entrance to the house is in the alley between 24th and 25th, but please park on Highland Dr or on 25th Ave. It is the 2nd house on the west side of the alley (from Highland Dr) and has a 3 car garage. Front door is on the south side of the house. Look for signs at the alley entrance! place

Format

It’s a potluck: so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

6:30 to 7:45: Social time! Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 7:45 to 9:30

Other Announcements – got any?

Rules of Engagement!

1. So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2. Raise one’s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3. Respect the points of views of others

4. No arguing of politics during the formal discussion – save that for afterwards!

Hi everyone!  Below is an invitation to our next InspireSeattle Social, Sunday November 15th at 5:30PM at Dave and Pat Griffith’s home.  We have scored again and will have a great speaker, Nick Licata to discuss his Observations of ALEC.

PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FROM OUR USUAL DAY AND TIME! 

Remember – IT’S A POTLUCK!!

Come join us!   www.inspireseattle.org

InspireSeattle

Invites YOU to join us at our Social Forum:  Sunday, November 15th at 5:30PM.

Main discussion topic for this evening:  Nick Licata’s Observations of ALEC

Do you know ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) or son of ALEC, ACE (Alliance for Choice in Education)?  ALEC is the source of some of the most egregious legislation over the last decade.  ALEC is the marriage of corporate influence with state and local legislators (mostly Republican) who devise “model” legislation which is often adopted word for word in state legislatures.  Some examples are “stand your ground” laws, restrictive voter requirements, and privatization of education.

Our own City Councilman Nick Licata attended and blogged about this year’s ALEC assembly.  No, he hasn’t gone over to the dark side, but he will tell us about how ALEC operates and about a new progressive version.

Please join us for this important discussion!

Guest Speaker:  Nick Licata 

Nick Licata grew up in a working class family where neither parent graduated from high school.  Though he couldn’t read until age nine, he was the first of his relatives to attend college.  At Bowling Green State University he led the local chapter of Students for a Democratic Society and was elected student body president.

Despite being outspent and with the mayor, council and newspapers supporting his opponent, Nick was elected to the city council.  Elected to five terms, he was named by the Nation as “Progressive Municipal Official of the Year” and twice named “Best Local Politician” by the Seattle Weekly.  In 2003 Licata authored the children’s novel Princess Bianca and the Vandals.  Nick has a new book in progress on how to be a social activist.

About InspireSeattle:

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action.  InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism.  InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment.  We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action.  Visit us at www.inspireseattle.org.

When:  Sunday, November 15th at 5:30PM.  NOTE THE DAY AND TIME and please try to be on time!!!

Where:  Dave and Pat Griffith’s place, 2561 12th Ave. West, Seattle  WA  98119, (206) 285-2452

Google map:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/2561+12th+Ave+W,+Seattle,+WA+98119/@47.642487,-122.3750827,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x54901575abc590a7:0x6e8181ffe60c3d96

By Bus:  You can take the #1 which stops about 3 blocks away, or the #2 which stops 6 blocks away or the D Line which requires a hike up three blocks of steps.

Format 

It’s a potluck:  so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

5:30 to 6:30:  Social time!  Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 6:30 to 8:30

Other Announcements – got any?

Rules of Engagement!

1.  So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2.  Raise one’s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3.  Respect the points of views of others

4.  No arguing of politics during the formal discussion – save that for afterwards! 

InspireSeattle invites YOU to join us at our Social Forum: Saturday, May 30th at 6:30PM.

Main discussion topic for this evening: Income Inequality in King County (and America)

Much has been written and said of the widening income inequality in America. But even with the press coverage the issue has been receiving recently, most Americans still don’t realize how extraordinarily unequal our country has become since the 1970s. These misconceptions are captured in this 6 minute video on Wealth Inequality in America:

This distressing trend unfortunately exists in King County as well. And the impacts extend beyond income inequality itself – race, income, neighborhood are each major predictors of whether we graduate from high school, become incarcerated, how healthy we are, and even how long we will live. Given the national and international factors leading to income inequality, is there anything we can do about it locally?

King County is working to address this through their Equity and Social Justice work (see the “King County Equity and Social Justice Annual Report”, which is found on this website http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity (on right of the page)). The county is committed to implementing our equity and social justice agenda to work toward fairness and opportunity for all and to remove barriers that limit the ability of some to fulfill their potential. Our economy and quality of life depends on the ability of everyone to contribute.

Solutions that build equity and opportunity rely on us all getting involved. Come join us for this interactive discussion on inequality and equity, and how we all can participate in a more fair and just community.

Please join us for this important discussion!

Guest Speaker:  Carrie Cihak:

Carrie S. Cihak is Chief of Policy in the King County Executive’s Office. She develops solutions for issues that are complex, controversial, cross-agency, or of particular concern to King County Executive Dow Constantine. Carrie leads a team of advisors known informally as the “policy pod” to guide implementation of the goals of the King County Strategic Plan. She comes to the Executive Office after eight years as a senior-level policy and budget analyst for the County Council. Carrie is trained as a PH.D-level economist and worked on international trade and finance for President Clinton’s Council of Economic Adviser.

Additional Info on Forum:

Earlier this week, King County Executive Dow Constantine delivered his annual State of the County address, in which he highlighted the threat income inequality poses for our region. He also announced a proposal called Best Starts for Kids that would put every child in King County on a path toward lifelong success and the ability to contribute their fullest to our region. Best Starts for Kids would fund prevention and early intervention strategies based on the latest brain science with a property tax levy costing the average homeowner about $1 per week. You can view or read his State of the County address and learn more about Best Starts for Kids here: http://1.usa.gov/1bRrqTr.

About InspireSeattle:

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.

When: May 30th at 6:30PM. Please try to be on time!!!

Where: Candy’s place
1140 Alki Ave SW, #505, Seattle, WA 98116
206-938-7508 (tel) 206-661-5657 (cell)
candacesullivan@comcast.net (e-mail)

Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/cF5ky

Directions: From West Seattle Bridge:

Once on the bridge move to the right. . [Avoid exits to Harbor Island and Delridge Way]

Stay in the right of the 3 lanes. There will be an exit sign to Admiral & Avalon/Harbor. (Admiral will go straight up the hill.) Move to the right lane for the Avalon/Harbor exit. It will be down an incline. When the lane ends, go right on to Harbor.

Pass Salty’s restaurant (I’m .7 miles from Salty’s). Pass a pier with the water taxi landing. You will begin to turn around a point. There will be vertical parking on the right, a mid-rise condo on the left, some cottages on the left, and then a dark brick mid-rise condo on the left. That is me – 1140 Alki – the Duwamish Head condominium. I’m in #505 on the fifth floor.

Kitty corner across the street a few yards further on the right is the Luna Park bulkhead, also known as Anchor Park. It is a small park that extends into the Bay.

Caution: Alki begins very near our condo. It is easy to get confused by the numbering on Harbor, similar to ours but no 1140.

The entrance is up some stairs. There is a phone at the door. Locate Sullivan. Ring me and I will buzz you in. [If you need handicapped access, you will need to call me so that I can let you in the rear door.

Format

It’s a potluck: so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

6:30 to 7:45: Social time! Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 7:45 to 9:30

Other Announcements – got any?

Rules of Engagement!

1. So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2. Raise one’s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3. Respect the points of views of others

InspireSeattle invites YOU to join us at our Social Forum: Saturday, April 25th at 6:30PM.

Main discussion topic for this evening: Ending the War on Drugs

For four decades the US has fueled its policy of a “war on drugs” with over a trillion tax dollars and increasingly punitive policies. More than 39 million arrests for nonviolent drug offenses have been made. The incarcerated population quadrupled over a 20-year period, making building prisons the nation’s fastest growing industry. More than 2.3 million US citizens are currently in prison or jail, far more per capita than any country in the world. The US has 4.6 percent of the population of the world but 22.5 percent of the world’s prisoners. Each year this war costs the US another 70 billion dollars. Despite all the lives destroyed and all the money so ill spent, today illicit drugs are cheaper, more potent, and much easier to access than they were at the beginning of the war on drugs, 40 years ago. Meanwhile, people continue dying on the streets while drug barons and terrorists continue to grow richer, more powerful, better armed.

Not one of the stated US drug policy goals of lowering the incidence of crime, addiction, drug availability, or juvenile drug use, has been achieved. Instead, our approach has magnified these problems by creating a self-perpetuating, ever-expanding policy of destruction, yet the US still insists on continuing the war and pressuring other governments to perpetuate these same unworkable policies. The drug war wreaks havoc, funds terrorism, and causes major corruption around the globe. This is the very definition of a failed public policy. This madness must cease!

With this in mind, current and former members of law enforcement have created a drug policy reform group called LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition). Supporters of LEAP believe that to save lives and lower the rates of disease, crime and addiction, as well as to conserve tax dollars, we must end drug prohibition. LEAP believes a system of regulation and control is far more effective than one of prohibition.

Please join us for this important discussion!

Guest Speaker:  Jim Doherty:

Jim Doherty prosecuted drug users as a chief prosecutor and also helped keep them in jail as a corrections officer. Prior to attending law school, Jim spent a year working as an “alternatives worker” getting criminal defendants into drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs and spent a year as a cell block officer in a large county jail. He later gained experience with the opposite perspective by serving as a public defender. In total, he has been practicing law for over thirty years, including several years as a felony public defender in Oregon, several as a municipal prosecutor for Washington cities, and two years as the Chief Prosecutor in the Attorney General’s office in American Samoa.

Jim describes his criminal legal experience as an exercise in futility when dealing with drug issues. “The legal prohibition of drugs has clogged our courts and jails, and has led to an out-of-control black market that destroys the lives of too many people, both here in America and abroad.”

He is part of the King County Bar Association Drug Policy Project, which was the country’s first county-wide collaboration to look at and work towards alternatives to America’s longest war. He is also a member of the Voluntary Committee of Lawyers. Since 1993, Jim has served as a full time legal consultant with Municipal Research & Services Center, a non-profit organization providing research assistance to cities and counties in the State of Washington.

About InspireSeattle:

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.

When: April 25th at 6:30PM. Please try to be on time!!!

Where: Toni Merritt’s place, 1334 44th Ave SW, Seattle WA 98116, 773-495-4398.

Google map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/1334+44th+Ave+SW,+Seattle,+WA+98116/@47.5909059,-122.386944,19z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x54904073f9488d41:0x4c67063a02b81ccf

Directions: Go west over the West Seattle bridge – take the Admiral Way exit – go up hill to California Ave SW – go right (north) on California – go 8 blocks to Atlantic – go left (west) on Atlantic – go right at 44th (first intersection) – first house on right.

Format

It’s a potluck: so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

6:30 to 7:45: Social time! Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 7:45 to 9:30

Other Announcements – got any?

Rules of Engagement!

1. So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2. Raise one’s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3. Respect the points of views of others

4. No arguing of politics during the formal discussion – save that for afterwards!

InspireSeattle invites YOU to join us at our Social Forum: Saturday, October 4^th at 6:30PM.

Main discussion topic for this evening: The Political Mind, Climate Crisis, and A New Science of Social Change

Have you ever wondered how popular support for sensible gun laws, universal health care, and financial reforms that serve the majority of people continually fails to deliver policy outcomes in America? Yes, there is systemic corruption in the U.S. Congress. But this doesn’t explain why the people are unable to reclaim our democracy.

Answers that work will require that we look within ourselves — at the workings of the political mind and the power of language for shaping the debate. The great linguist, George Lakoff, has brought attention to the vital role that cognitive science plays in this effort. Together we will look at the findings from this cross-cutting synthesis of studies in psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, and related fields to see how our political minds work.

We will then apply these findings to one of the most “wicked problems” facing humanity — the climate crisis brought on by human activities that threaten the future of our global civilization. We explore the moral beliefs, social values, and broad perceptions that have hindered collective action in the past. And we will explore a new science of social change that may be the vital missing piece that has kept our democracies here and around the world from functioning up till now.

Please join us for this important discussion!

Guest Speaker:

Joe Brewer, Culture Designer:

Joe is the Founder of Cognitive Policy Works and a protégé of linguist, George Lakoff. He has three bachelors degrees in physics, mathematics, and interdisciplinary studies and a masters in atmospheric sciences. He is a complexity researcher, innovation strategist, experience designer, and serial social entrepreneur who brings a wealth of expertise to the adoption of sustainable solutions at the cultural scale. Among his notable achievements are the creation of an undergraduate degree program in Earth Systems, Environment and Society at the University of Illinois and design of new collaboration protocols for strategic communications among European NGO’s with WWF-UK and Oxfam, Great Britain. He was an active member of the Center for Complex Systems Research from 2001 to 2005, where he studied pattern formation in self-organizing systems. He was a research fellow at the Rockridge Institute in 2007-08 analyzing political discourse in the United States. He contracted with the International Centre for Earth Simulation in Geneva in 2010-11 to help build a globally-focused high performance computing facility dedicated to holistic simulations of the dynamic Earth. His experiences as a social entrepreneur and cross-disciplinary scholar weave together a combination of skills dedicated to open collaboration, interactive design, and empowered civic action for catalyzing change toward greater resilience in our turbulent world.

Learn more at one of his websites:

http://www.cognitivepolicyworks.com and http://www.changestrategistforhumanity.com

Follow him on Twitter at @cognitivepolicy

See minutes and photos from our last gathering (Obamacare, May 31^st) at

http://www.inspireseattle.org/minutes/053114.html]

About InspireSeattle:

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.

When: Saturday, October 4^th at 6:30PM. Please try to be on time!!!

Where: Bill and Emily’s place, 1640 S. Lane St., Seattle WA 98144, 206-324-3232.

Google map: http://goo.gl/maps/hu7bf

Directions:

1640 S Lane Street

324-3232

(one block north of Dearborn, one block east of Rainier)

Entrance to 1640 S Lane Street
Park on 18th Ave S, between Lane and Weller Streets.
Access to the house is down the alley between Lane and Weller Streets, walking west towards Rainier Ave S. The alley dead ends at the house. Blue and steel siding. Metal steps to door…

Format

It’s a potluck: so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

6:30 to 7:45: Social time! Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 7:45 to 9:30

Other Announcements – got any?

Rules of Engagement!

1. So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2. Raise one’s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3. Respect the points of views of others

4. No arguing of politics during the formal discussion – save that for afterwards!

 

InspireSeattle invites YOU to join our future socials: 

          Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 6:30pm * 
Main discussion topic for this evening:

Obamacare, Disruptive Innovation and the Future of Health

*To receive InspireSeattle invitations, click here to provide us with an email address.

The Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare, a.k.a. ACA) seems to have more lives than a cat, but will the 2014 midterm elections or the 2016 presidential election finally put an end to the madness? Or is this the wrong question to be asking? Is the ACA really just one building block in a much richer story of how the U.S. is beginning to move from a ‘sick care system’ to a true ‘health system’ and in the process leading the way for the rest of the world which is experiencing accelerating rates of obesity, heart disease and rapidly increasing costs?

 

Guest Speaker:  Dale Jarvis: 

Dale Jarvis, a longtime healthcare consult and West Seattle resident has been working on health reform since George Herbert Walker Bush was planning to fix the healthcare system in this country. (Did you know that 41 had a plan?) Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, Dale has been involved in health reform projects in 21 states, participating in a yet-to-be told story of how 18% of the American economy is engaged in an enormous transformation project that will affect every citizen – for the better. Dale will be joining us to share his stories and interview us about what a new health ecosystem in the Seattle area might look like.

 

Dale’s Bio

Dale Jarvis is the founder of Dale Jarvis and Associates LLC, a Seattle-based consulting firm. Dale has extensive experience helping governments, health plans and healthcare providers redesign their organizations to achieve better health for the populations they serve, better care for individuals, and reduced costs. He has contributed articles to publications and is a co-author of two books on healthcare system redesign.  Currently Mr. Jarvis is working with states, counties, and at a national level to help ensure that the health needs of all Americans are addressed as health reform unfolds. You can learn more about Dale at his website: www.djconsult.net.

Come join us for what should be a very important and interesting evening!!!

 

About InspireSeattle:

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.
When:  Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 6:30PM. Please try to be on time!!!

Where:  You will receive an invitation with the location when you provide us with your email address.

Format 

It s a potluck:  so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

6:30 to 7:45:  Social time!  Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 7:45 to 9:30

Other Announcements  got any?

 

Rules of Engagement!

1.  So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2.  Raise one s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3.  Respect the points of views of others

4.  No arguing of politics during the formal discussion save that for afterwards! 

Can Surveillance Technologies Be Tamed?

Video surveillance cameras are far different from the technology of a few decades ago. They now allow remote control, with pan, tilt, and zoom features; the images obtained are digital, and can be combined with other technologies such as facial recognition, or optical character recognition. Drones are rapidly becoming available at low cost, in a variety of sizes—potentially allowing video, thermal imaging, and other sensing mechanisms to be routinely deployed in the air, perhaps unknown to people below. Automatic license plate readers have the capability to detect (and store in a geocoded, time-stamped manner) thousands of plates every hour. Cell phones can be used to track the movements of individuals. All of these technologies both have significant benefits and pose significant risks to privacy. This talk will examine these types of technologies, and discuss methods that can be used to minimize the risks while maintaining the benefits.

Please join us for this important discussion!

 

Come join us for what should be a very important and interesting evening!!!

 

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.

InspireSeattle invites YOU to join us at our Social Forum: Saturday, March 8th at 6:30PM.

Main discussion topic for this evening: Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military

There is an extraordinary culture of violence and sexual abuse committed within the U.S. Military. Sarah Blum’s book, Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military, is a stunning revelation of sexual abuse in the U.S. Armed Forces. As Blum’s book makes scathingly clear, this criminal activity–demeaning, degrading and despicable – and is far too prevalent in each of the armed services. Action is needed–comprehensive, effective and swift–before sexual abuse rips out the very heart of the military.

Sarah Blum will share how she came to be writing this book, share what she learned, the data, the problem of reporting sexual assault in the military, retaliation, the failure of the military justice system to deal with these cases, the cover up, leadership and command failure, share some of the women’s stories and what must be done to end this scourge.

Please join us for this important discussion!

Guest Speaker: Sarah L. Blum:

Sarah Blum, is a decorated nurse Vietnam veteran who earned the Army Commendation Medal serving as an operating room nurse at the 12th Evacuation Hospital Cu Chi, Vietnam during the height of the fighting in 1967. Sarah was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for exemplary service as head nurse of the orthopedic ward at Madigan Army Hospital in 1968, where she was also the assistant director of nursing on evening and night shift in 1970. She received her Bachelor’s Degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Seattle University and her Master’s, Cum Laude, from U. W. and at age 74, Sarah is still a practicing nurse psychotherapist with over 29 years experience working with PTSD and trauma resolution.

Sarah was one of the first two women elected to the National Board of Directors of the Vietnam Veterans of America in 1983, and she was active in veterans affairs and successfully lobbied Congress to study the connection between Agent Orange and birth defects in the children of women Vietnam veterans.

Sarah’s first Op Ed “Sexual Abuse in the Military Needs to be Brought to Light”, was published July 12, 2012 in The Seattle Times and her second,”Sex Crimes Continue to Plague the U.S. Military,” was published in Truthout on January 15, 2013. Sarah’s guest editorial, “Support the Joint Memorial,” appeared in the July 12th, 2013 issue of the Auburn Reporter. Her authentic passionate voice reverberates through the pages of Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military and the sequel, Women Under Fire: PTSD and Healing. www.womenunderfire.net

Come join us for what should be a very important and interesting evening!!!

About InspireSeattle:

InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.

When: Saturday, March 8th at 6:30PM. Please try to be on time!!!

Where: Jim Simpson’s home (Seward Park), 5236 S. Mayflower, Seattle 98118 Tel: 206-450-5834

Directions: (easy to find!) http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=5236%20S%20Mayflower%20St&city=Seattle&state=WA&zipcode=98118%2d2537&country=US&geodiff=1

From the North: I-5 south past Safeco Field to Albro/Swift Exit. Go left on Albro, then right on Swift, then left on Graham (all of these intersections are within a block of each other). Take Graham St. eastbound (about 3 miles) past MLK & Rainier Ave. until it dead ends on Wilson. Left on Wilson, through the next stop sign on Orcas. Go another 2 blocks until Mayflower St. Right on Mayflower and go to the middle of the second block left hand side of the street.

From the South: I-5 northbound to the Boeing field area. Take Albro/Swift Exit. Go left on Swift, then right on Graham St where there is a stop light. Go eastbound on Graham (about 3 mile) passed MLK and Rainier Ave until it dead ends on Wilson. Left on Wilson, through the next stop sign on Orcas. Go another 2 blocks until Mayflower St. Right on Mayflower and go to the middle of the second block left hand side of the street.

Format

It’s a potluck: so please help out and bring something to eat and to drink!

6:30 to 7:45: Social time! Eat, drink, relax, and catch up with some other local progressives

Formal discussion and guest speakers, 7:45 to 9:30

Other Announcements – got any?

Rules of Engagement!

1. So that everyone has a chance to participate, please keep your comments short

2. Raise one’s hand to ask a question in lieu of shouting out

3. Respect the points of views of others

4. No arguing of politics during the formal discussion – save that for afterwards!

          Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 6:30pm * 
Main discussion topic for this evening: 

No New Jim Crow

*To receive InspireSeattle invitations, click here to provide us with an email address.

Following the Civil War and continuing right into the 1960s, African-Americans were racially segregated and systematically discriminated against by a series of local and state laws that collectively became known as Jim Crow laws. These laws would eventually be undermined by the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But has the United States truly achieved legal equality for all of its citizens? In 2010 Michelle Alexander published The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and she argues that “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” Now it is the U.S. criminal justice system that targets black men with higher conviction rates and longer sentences under the “War on Drugs”. These practices decimate communities of color and relegate millions to a permanent second-class status as “ex-cons”.

No New Jim Crow Seattle Campaign is one of several groups in the Seattle/King County area, working to promote positive alternatives to jails, prisons, and punishments. Mary Paterson and other participants from the No New Jim Crow Seattle Campaign will speak at this gathering about transformative/restorative justice as a real alternative that is within our grasp. Their presence in the Seattle area has started the process with education and community organizing programs that will be needed in this next step.

Come join us for what should be a very important and interesting evening!!!

 

About InspireSeattle:
InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.

 

Invites YOU to join our  social on   Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 6:30pm * 
Main discussion topic for this evening: 

No New Jim Crow

*To receive InspireSeattle invitations, click here to provide us with an email address.

Following the Civil War and continuing right into the 1960s, African-Americans were racially segregated and systematically discriminated against by a series of local and state laws that collectively became known as Jim Crow laws. These laws would eventually be undermined by the Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But has the United States truly achieved legal equality for all of its citizens? In 2010 Michelle Alexander published The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness and she argues that “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” Now it is the U.S. criminal justice system that targets black men with higher conviction rates and longer sentences under the “War on Drugs”. These practices decimate communities of color and relegate millions to a permanent second-class status as “ex-cons”.

No New Jim Crow Seattle Campaign is one of several groups in the Seattle/King County area, working to promote positive alternatives to jails, prisons, and punishments. Mary Paterson and other participants from the No New Jim Crow Seattle Campaign will speak at this gathering about transformative/restorative justice as a real alternative that is within our grasp. Their presence in the Seattle area has started the process with education and community organizing programs that will be needed in this next step.

Come join us for what should be a very important and interesting evening!!!

 

About InspireSeattle:
InspireSeattle is a progressive network of Seattle-area people sharing ideas and supporting action. InspireSeattle’s vision is to create connection throughout our community and better community through activism. InspireSeattle’s mission is to provide a fun, supportive gathering for people who care deeply about our community, our country and our planet. We embrace progressive policies that improve our society and protect our environment. We discuss current issues, share ideas and activism efforts while striving to inspire additional action. Subscribe (or unsubscribe) to InspireSeattle by visiting www.inspireseattle.org/contact.html.