Friday, January 15, 2010

SOLIDARITY IS IMPORTANT


This is the area where the Navy base would be built to homeport Aegis destroyers on Jeju Island

The mayor of Gangjeong village on Jeju Island in South Korea was seen on the mainland in Seoul for a protest last Tuesday. The sign (above) being held by Kang Dong-Kyun reads, "The naval base is not getting along well with the Island of Peace."

Reports about the petition I am now circulating worldwide have been appearing in Jeju media and several strong solidarity messages have been sent to Korea from other places around the world that have, or are now, fighting against similar odds.

The folks in Vieques, Puerto Rico have sent solidarity words to Jeju recalling their long effort to stop a US Navy bombing range on their beautiful island. Often the US planes would bomb the coral reefs just off shore of Vieques.

The activists in Vicenza, Italy, who are now organizing against a massive expansion of a US military base in their city, have also sent word to Jeju. When people are under the boot of militarism they understand how it feels for others experiencing that same smothering footprint.

The names are still rolling in for my petition. I'm going to give it one more week before submitting my final tally to the South Korean and US governments. If you have yet to add your name and/or organization to the list please do so by sending me an email at: globalnet@mindspring.com Be sure to give me city/state and country too.

I am writing this from the train station in Boston on my way south to Washington DC to speak at the Saturday CIA HQ drone protest being organized by Cindy Sheehan. A march from there to the nearby home of former V-P Dick Cheney will follow the protest.

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