Democracy for New Mexico

Peace Poem

Let's start off the New Year with a peace poem:

This is the field where the battle did not happen,
where the unknown soldier did not die.
This is the field where grass joined hands,
where no monument stands,
and the only heroic thing is the sky.



Birds fly here without any sound,
unfolding their wings across the open.
No people killed – or were killed – on this ground
hollowed by the neglect of an air so tame
that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.

by William Stafford
USA (1914-1993)

Light

Christmas Eve in Albuquerque's North Valley

Luminarias

At our house:

Peace

Merry Everything to All!

(Hat tip to D.A. for the reindeer.)

(Click on images for larger versions. Photos by M.E. Broderick.)

Also see posts here and  here at Duke City Fix for more luminaria and lights photos. And for a couple of animated ruminations on Peace on Earth, check out this 1939 animation and the 1955 remake.

Without Any Fear: Tidings of Comfort, Joy and Peace

Of course I had to put this up (again). Will we have a year during the rest of our lives when the U.S. is not at war or occupying someplace for our own gain, regardless of the ruination it causes ourselves and others? Probably the best we can do for now is pledge to live the next year WITHOUT ANY FEAR of the kind being planted so diligently in the public consciousness by the forces of eternal war and greed. It's a start.

Check out this blast from the past Christmas card from the Bush Family that captures the future Decider with cig in hand, smirk on face and no belt in loops. Hang onto the fact that 2008 will be Dubya's last year in office -- unless he declares martial law and attempts to become president for life, or something. Anything is possible, but I think the odds strongly favor positive energies starting to emerge again on our planet. That's one thing to be very grateful about as we move into the last week of 2007.

Have a Yuletide filled with light, hope, laughter and love.

Power to the People: Mike Gravel Raps

I don't know about you, but I miss Mike's outspoken presence at the too, too politically correct "debates."

Looking for Some Holiday Spirit, ABQ Style?

Try two posts on Duke City Fix today that are chock full of sensual adjectives describing the sights and sounds of the holiday season in Albuquerque. Start off with Natalie's It's Time to Get Lit, which starts off:

Ahhhhh... New Mexico in the winter. It smells better than it looks. Everything has turned grey-ish-dusty-brown and the mountains, for some reason, look further away. But every time I walk out the front door, I'm hit with the smells of someone's fireplace burning pinon, fresh tortillas cookin', roasts a-roastin', and pots of posole’ simmering. Tamale making is in full swing here in the Duke City. There is a definite bite in the air that makes me want to gobble it all in. The sights are still very beautiful but the olfactory experiences here just can‘t be beat.

Next up, check out Las Posadas de Barelas by Barelas Babe, which describes the special sense of community among diversity provided by a traditional Christmas celebration in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. This year, Las Posadas will be held on December 22nd in Barelas. Excerpt:

In case you are not familiar with Las Posadas, it is a Hispanic tradition that reenacts the travels of Jose y Maria prior to the birth of Jesus, with the nativity procession moving from door to door in search of shelter. Carolers sing traditional Spanish songs seeking shelter, followed by the residents of the house and their guests denying this request. The procession continues to the next house in hopes of finding shelter, and at the last location, Sacred Heart Church, the doors are thrown wide open and everyone enters (except the burro, who always refuses).

Most of the Barelas households on the Las Posadas route participate every year, decorating their home with strings of lights and luminarias, and hosting parties on the night of Las Posadas. When the procession arrives, partygoers spill out of the brightly lit homes singing their parts in this age old ritual, which dates back to the 1500s when it was brought to the New World by the Spanish. It is uncertain when Las Posadas was first done in Barelas, a neighborhood that has its roots in the seventeenth century, but we do know that it has been an official event in Barelas for 62 years, thanks to the efforts of Patrick Turrieta and many others too numerous to name.

Planning for a walk or drive to see luminarias this Christmas Eve? The Albuquerque Journal offers a listing of neighborhoods known for their displays.

Last but not least, Sunny the sun conure says, "Don't forget to put out some extra treats at your birdfeeders at this wintry time of year -- there's a snowstorm on the way!"

Click on images for larger versions. Photos by M.E. Broderick.

27 Years: Still a Dreamer

John Winston Ono Lennon
October 9, 1940 - December 8, 1980BBC PhotosOfficial Site
Wikipedia

How many times have we started over for peace ....

Yoko Ono's message today (with art download). My posts from December 8, 2006 and December 8, 2005.

12/16: Holy Road Tour Bus, Lizzie West & The White Buffalo & Potluck for Peace

From Thomas at BringDaNoise.com:
The will be making a stop in Albuquerque this December 16th at the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice for a Potluck and Jam Session for Peace! The Holy Road Tour features Appleseed Records recording artists whose song "19 Miles To Baghdad" was recently featured on Democracy Now, and the video I made was featured on BringDaNoise.com/.

LOCAL MUSICIANS WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE JAM SESSION!!

This event is a great way to network with others involved in the peace movement, eat some great food, and listen to some amazing music!! Everyone is welcome (bring some food)!

ONE NIGHT ONLY
Sunday, December 16th, 2007 at 6 PM
at the Albuquerque Center For Peace and Justice
202 Harvard SE (corner of Harvard and Silver)
email thomas@bringdanoise.com for more information

PLEASE TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT EVENT!!

11th Annual Community Holiday Dance & Gala Celebration for Peace & Justice

From the : 11th Annual Community Holiday Dance and Gala celebration of solidarity for peace and Justice! For the 11th year at 7:00 PM on Saturday, December 8, at the Height’s Community Center, 823 Buena Vista SE in Albuquerque, the Peace and Social Justice Community will gather to celebrate our diversity and solidarity as we work together for peace and justice.

Everyone is invited to enjoy and dance to the music of Wagogo. The Gala, a benefit for the Peace and Justice Center, will also feature New Mexican Holiday foods, fair trade coffee, arts and crafts, cooperatively and locally made gifts. Beginning at 7 PM enjoy great food and beverages, the finest home-baked goodies, locally made gifts, and dancing with old and new friends! The suggested donation is $8 – $10 for adults.

See 'War Made Easy' and Meet Norman Solomon

Hear author and filmmaker Norman Solomon on WAR MADE EASY: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death:

Friday, October 26, 2007, 7 PM
Smith-Brasher Hall, Central New Mexico Community College
SW Corner, University Blvd and Coal Ave. SE
Admission Free, Lots of Parking

Then see Norman Solomon¹s new film WAR MADE EASY at a Guild Cinema special showing
Saturday, October 27 - 3:15, 5:15, 7:15 PM
Sunday, October 28 - 2 PM only
3405 Central NE, Albuquerque
Call to confirm times: 505-255-1848
Click to visit the film's website.

“A superb visual form of investigative journalism.”
— Howard Zinn, historian

“Compares the propaganda techniques of the past with the present, and draws striking parallels.”
— Inter Press Service

“Chilling and persuasive.”
— Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation

“A total tour de force.”
— Jay Cassidy, editor, An Inconvenient Truth

War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations.

War Made Easy gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq. Guided by media critic Norman Solomon’s meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, the film presents disturbing examples of propaganda and media complicity from the present alongside rare footage of political leaders and leading journalists from the past, including Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Norman Solomon’s work has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “brutally persuasive” and essential “for those who would like greater context with their bitter morning coffee.” This film now offers a chance to see that context on the screen.

Learn History. Then Change It.
W W W . W A R M A D E E A S Y T H E M O V I E . O R G

For more information contact Bob Anderson, CNM Political Science Dept., 505-224-5781, randerson28@cnm.edu.

Noted Author Alice Walker to Appear at Kiva Auditorium

From :
Alice Walker, bestselling author of The Color Purple and of fiction and non-fiction, will be at the Kiva Auditorium at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Monday, October 1, 2007 at 7:00 PM to read and sign her new book! Why War is Never a Good Idea is a peace-advocating children's book that is also beautifully illustrated. She will also sign this and her other titles.

One ticket FREE with book purchase ($16.99+tax) or TWO tickets and ONE book for $25, all in advance. At the door, tickets are $20 for one book and ticket, $25 for one book and two tickets. Contact Bookworks for books and tickets: Bookworks; 4022 Rio Grande NW; Albuquerque, NM 87107; 505-344-8139 (phone), 505-344-9948 (fax); orders@bkwrks.com

An interview with Alice Walker about her new book. More info on Alice Walker, her books and her politics.