Activist Groups on the Central Coast of California

[Inte11ectual]

I live in a small, conservative town, and I rarely get a chance to express my political views without being shouted down by the nearest idiot driving his gargantuan SUV. However I saw an article in the local paper recently that described one local anti-war organization. I wanted some more information about their activities, but when I tried to look it up on the internet, I was mislead by thousands of hits for the Michael Jackson case being held locally. I was hoping I could find someone with information regarding a local peace activist group that I could learn about and possibly join. Anywere between Lompoc and San Luis Obispo would be perfect. Thanks.

[Hekate]

1. Lompoc and SLO both have active peace communities

I have to go into my other e-files to get you some info, but I'll be back shortly. I've been involved with the VFP, Central Coast Peace Coalition, and other groups for the past three years. Keeps me sane, more or less.

Welcome to DU! :hi: :toast:

Hekate
out in Goleta

[Inte11ectual]

2. thanks

thanks for your help and the welcome.

[Hekate]

5. Okay, here you go

Get in touch with the Hopedance community in SLO via their newspaper/journal of the same name. Bob Banner is the publisher, and his e-mail is [e-mail] The website is http://www.hopedance.org They are tireless in promotion of peace, permaculture, ecology ... They have regular film nights in SLO, and those would be a good place to meet likeminded folks.

You might check out the activities at the Unitarian Universalist Church in SLO to see if they have a peace committee oriented toward community activism. A couple of years ago I spoke with the nascent committee at the Santa Barbara UU, but ultimately they decided that many people were already working frantically in so many areas (we had not yet invaded Iraq) that what they really needed was one place to become personally peaceful. Everywhere I've ever been involved in anything to do with social justice the UUs have been well-represented. Ditto peace activism, so there are likely to be people who can point you in the right direction.

Groups periodically demonstrate outside Vandenburg AFB, but personally I won't go there because I don't want to confront the military on their own turf, especially when conditions are terribly tense as they are now. Yes, it's a public highway -- but if you get arrested it's a federal rap, and besides, if the 1960s taught us nothing else, it's that weapons sometimes discharge.

Nonetheless, as you probably are already aware, Vandenburg is the beating heart and electronic nerve center of America's satellite spy system, so it's a big deal.

I met Rosemary from Lompoc during the Santa Barbara peace marches and actions leading up to the invasion of Iraq; as a result I went to some of the Lompoc meetings and still get notices of them. Sorry I don't have anything recent, but try e-mailing her at [e-mail] -- tell her you asked at DU and Sheila suggested she might have the information you need.

The Santa Barbara chapter of Veterans for Peace was the only chapter between San Francisco and Los Angeles until one of our members started a Ventura county chapter. I just checked my last copy of the roster (I'm an associate, or non-vet, member) to see if there was a name from Lompoc on it, but didn't see anyone. Our website is http://www.vfpsb.org/index.html and I think there's direct contact links to people who might know more.

Hope this helps.

Hekate

[Inte11ectual]

6. it does help a lot

do you know of any places in Santa Maria too?

[Hekate]

7. Nothing specifically for Santa Maria

That's why I mentioned SLO, as they are fairly close geographically, but fairly distant politically. If you're in SM, you are in genuine Red State country, but on the other hand, they need DUers! Again, Bob from Hopedance might have an idea, or there might be something useful listed there.

If you are interested, the Santa Barbara and Ventura VFP have been working on an issue related to No Child Left Behind, and we really need someone in your area to take it on. You don't have to be VFP -- we got together with a conscientious objectors and friends group. There's an abundance of resources online from American Friends (Quakers) and others.

No Child Left Behind has a provision that requires high schools to send to the Dept of Defense the names and contact info of their underage boys, the better to recruit them later. If the schools refuse, they endanger their federal funding. There is an opt-out provision that can be exercised by individual students or parents, but first they have to know about it. Schools are not hiding this information, but during the first week of school they are swamped with paperwork and they send home packets of undifferentiated material to parents. In our district we found this critical piece of information buried thusly on a page filled with other stuff:
DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD'S NAME RELEASED TO COLLEGE RECRUITERS, ATHLETIC RECRUITERS, OR MILITARY RECRUITERS? YES NO

I was on the joint task force committee that went to our school board, and they heard us out. It went well: the testimony of a couple of our Vietnam vets who were recruited right from high school was particularly moving.

However, our researches showed that every district in the county has its own school board, and ultimately we decided we needed to try to get local people to approach their own school boards, or we would end up doing nothing else. I don't know if we ever found anyone for North County.

Are you a recent transplant? Most of the growth for SB county is now happening at the north end, transforming it from its rural roots. Developers love it because "pro-growth" still sounds good to the Santa Marians. On the other hand, developers are the ones driving the county split. At least housing prices are not yet stratospheric, so you're in luck in that regard.

Hope you check back and see this. I took a couple of days off so this thread may have passed into history.

Hekate

[Inte11ectual]

8. Unfortunately I have no connections to local school districts

I am a senior at a catholic high school. I do know a few people who attend the public high schools who think progressively, though I don't know how much these students would be open to doing this kind of thing, or how the district would react to a bunch of 17 and 18 year olds telling them what to do, or if I have a right to speak at their meetings.

Not a transplant, just an enlightened individual. I was actually inspired by my English teacher from school who lives in SLO county.

I'm looking for soemthing anti-Iraq war, but again I truly appreciate your help and effort.

[Hekate]

9. It's really nice to have you here, regardless

High schoolers actually can approach their school boards with issues like this (and I would encourage them to do so), but I understand it would be awkward for someone from a private school. So maybe that's out for now.

Still, stay alert for events within your own school -- if it accepts federal money it may have to comply with provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act such as the one I mentioned. That's certainly one problem with Bush's blurring (some would say erasure) of the line between church and state -- faith based initiatives will sound fine until religious groups begin to lose autonomy.

Keep checking around -- maybe ask your English teacher for leads. A couple of years ago a high school in Ojai actually formed a peace group with teachers for advisors, probably on the same basis as forming any other club. They showed up at several of our marches before the invasion of Iraq.

Best of luck to you. Glad to have you with us!

Hekate


http://www.vfpsb.org/index.html

[Tigress DEM]

3. here are a few ..

no geographical http://www.votetoimpeach.org

http://fightbigmedia.meetup.com put in your zip

http://www.meetup.com/browse " " several choices

[izzie]

4. Question? Is a person a patriot if he supports a tyrant?

Ask the shouting SUV person.