Public Comment

Hellter Swelter

Our public servants in the state and media have been busy preparing the multitudes for a string of triple-digit temperatures but sometimes the advice falls short. A front-page Chronicle article advised: "People should protect themselves from the heat by keeping indoors as much as possible in the morning and afternoon." (Apparently there's no need to worry about dashing about in the mid-day sun.)

The Chron's climate experts also had a number of survival tips to keep cool. One was to visit shopping malls and other large spaces with air-conditioning. Another tip: drive around in a car with the air-conditioning turned on.

These survival tips amount to a stunning example of "causative blindness."

Consider: Rising temperatures are the result of climate change, which is the result of carbon pollution, which is caused (in large measure) by driving around in gas-powered carbon polluters.

Is this how Earth's last surviving humans will meet their end—huddled inside parked cars with the AC turned up high until their gas tanks run dry? 

Schooled in Violence 

In most countries, children understand that school is where you go to get an education. In the US, children are learning — through relentless repetition — that school is where you go to get shot. 

Last week, students at Madison Park Academy (an Oakland middle school), ran for the exits and hid under their desks when a 12-year-old student shot and seriously wounded a 13-year-old student. 

On September 2, the Chronicle updated the incident with an oddly reassuring headline. It read: "Oakland police says school shooting not 'deliberate'." 

So it was just an accident? Not quite. According to the Chron, OPD investigators determined the hospitalized victim "was not the intended target." 

Move along. Nothing to see here. Counselors are standing by in the cafeteria. 

Related News: The Brady Campaign is predicting that "1,000 people will be shot" in the US in the course of the three-day Labor Day weekend. 

The Brady Bunch Puts the Bullet In Bulletin 

American rhetoric continues to go ballistic, and not just from the mil-speak word-bombers in the Military-Industrial-Media Complex. 

Apparently no one at the anti-gun Brady Campaign (named for Reagan-era press secretary and shooting victim James Brady) saw a problem with their email-blast about improving chances for Democrat Mandela Barnes to unseat GOPper Ron Johnson in Wisconsin's November Senate race. The message's subject line read: "One of our best shots at flipping a Senate seat." 

Best Anti-nuclear War Protest Ever! 

The US Naval Base at Kitsap-Bangor in Washington State is the West Coast homeport for the Pentagon's fleet of nuclear-armed Trident submarines. A single Trident sub carries the destructive force of over 1,200 Hiroshima bombs (the Hiroshima bomb was 15 kilotons). 

On August 8, a group of around 40 peace demonstrators converged on the road leading to the base's Main Gate, blocking cars from entering or leaving the facility. Thirteen demonstrators were "detained and cited." But thanks to a well-rehearsed No-Nukes Flash Mob, the soldiers and civilian employees stuck in traffic enjoyed one of the most entertaining peace protests ever staged. Check out the video. 

Diablo Blowback 

A local CODEPINK activist was alarmed by the news that Governor Gavin Newsom was planning to block the long-awaited shutdown and cleanup of the ancient Diablo Canyon nuclear complex. But when she contacted Senator Nancy Skinner to express her concern, the response left her livid. 

"I called and wrote to Skinner multiple times in the last week asking her to vote NO on SB 846, including filling out her message form where one indicates 'support' or 'oppose' on legislation coming up for a vote," the CODEPINKer wrote. 

But Skinner's emailed response triggered a constituent meltdown. It read: "Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding your support for Senate Bill 846: Diablo Canyon powerplant: extension of operations (Dodd)." [Emphasis added.] 

Papermaster was aghast that her opposition to the bill had been registered as support. "What if all of the people who sent their comments to her had their OPPOSITION to SB 846 changed to SUPPORT?!?!?!?" the actiist asked. 

The howls from anti-nuclear constituents apparently rattled some ears in Sacramento because, subsequently, Skinner's office released a second re-written response that read: "Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding your opposition for Senate Bill 846: Diablo Canyon powerplant: extension of operations." [Emphasis added once again.] 

Skinner's revised reply included the note: "Though we disagree on the merits of this legislation, I value your opinion and appreciate you taking the time to write." 

But was there ever a form letter addressed to reactor opponents in the first place? It appears that Skinner's original note expressing "support for" the reactor had simply been changed to read: "opposition for." But the phrasing is wrong: The letter should have read "opposition to" not "opposition for." 

To keep up with Sen. Skinner's other legislative work, click here. To read her official newsletter, click here. 

Gruesome Pro-Nuke Newsom Screws Some 

Anti-nuclear activist and prolific author Harvey Wasserman is outraged by Governor Gavin Newsom's last-minute push to prolong the operating life of the crumbling Diablo Canyon reactor complex. In 2016, then-Lieutenant Governor Newsom endorsed Gov. Jerry Brown's call to close the embattled and embrittled reactors. With the agreement of the NRC, PG&E, unions, and environmental groups, Diablo was slated for shutdown in 2024-5. 

In a recent op-ed, Wasserman opined that Newsom's "shocking pro-nuke move comes parallel with the Governor's attempt to tax rooftop solar out of existence." In addition to a state-backed $1.4 billion "forgivable" loan to PG&E to operate Diablo past its retirement date, Wasserman notes that the governor "is now assaulting home-owned solar with deadly taxes and gutted buy-backs." Wasserman suggests a motive for Newsom's about-face: "Senate Bill 846 begs the nuclear/utility industry to fund his presidential campaign." 

Perhaps it's time to give the Gov a new nickname. Instead of Governor Gavin, he deserves to be called Governor Give-in. 

Renewal Creep 

Renewal Creep used to be an oddity. Now it's become a thing. Renewal Creep is what happens when you subscribe to a magazine and receive a renewal envelope (two, three, four, five, six) months before the original subscription runs out. 

Example: In mid-April, I sent off a check for a subscription to the Smithsonian magazine. A renewal notice arrived in early August, informing me that a payment was "due by 9/10/2022". A small disclaimer at the bottom of the Renewal Statement read: "Smithsonian publishes monthly except January/February and July/August and when future combined issues are published that count as two as indicated on the issue's cover." 

I think that's another way of saying "You may only get six issues per year. 

Example: Even the highly respected publication, Consumer Reports, has been found using "renewal creep" on its subscribers. A renewal notice arrived in early August with a bold-faced demand: "Please reply by 08/25/22." Elsewhere on the same billing statement was a note (in smaller, non-bold type) that read: "EXPIRES JAN/2024." 

In addition to being pre-subscribed for more than 16 months, the renewal notice also suggested extending a "free gift subscription" I previously shared with a family member. This time, however, the "gift" subscription was no longer free. The invoice added another $15 to the standard $30 subscription rate for a total of $45.75. And what was the extra 75 cents for? Dunno. Consumer Reports didn't report. 

The Singing Revolution  

Most folk wouldn't consider singing to be a tool of revolution. But raising voices along with clenched fists is exactly how the citizens of Estonia freed themselves from Soviet occupation. Don't believe it? Then check out The Singing Revolution, a film that documents how "between 1987 and 1991, hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered publicly to sing forbidden patriotic songs and share protest speeches, risking their lives to proclaim their desire for independence." 

While violence and bloodshed was the unfortunate end result in other occupied nations of the USSR, the revolutionary songs of the Estonians anchored their struggle for freedom, which was ultimately accomplished without the loss of a single life. 

In this stunning film, Mart Laar, Estonia's first post-Soviet Prime Minister and a Singing Revolution leader, recounts how Estonia's nonviolent uprising succeeded:
“The young people, without any political party, and without any politicians, just came together … not only tens of thousands but hundreds of thousands … to gather and to sing and to give this nation a new spirit.” 

Filmmakers James Tusty and Maureen Castle Tusty have joined up with World BEYOND War to offer online screenings of The Singing Revolution between September 4-10. When you sign up to view the film, you'll also receive an invitation to participate with a live Q&A with the filmmakers at 11AM on Saturday, September 10. Warning: The following trailer contains images of war crimes. 

Letters Not Printed by the Chronicle 

On August 28, the Chronicle ran a story with the headline: “Pentagon orders overhaul to avoid civilian casualties” that praised the military for responding to Warmerica's habit of wantonly slaughtering civilians around the world. The following letter was shared with the Chronicle but was not selected for publication: 

"On August 29, 2021, a US Hellfire missile fired at a car in a courtyard in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed Zemani Ahmadi and 9 family members — including seven children. General Mark Milley claimed the bombing killed an ISIS terrorist and praised the attack as 'a righteous strike.' 

"That was not true. Ahmadi was an employee of Nutrition and Education International, a US-based humanitarian organization. 

"After the New York Times released videos that contradicted the Pentagon’s lie, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed to create new guidelines 'to prevent, mitigate and respond to civilian harm.' One year later, Austin’s 36-page 'action plan' has been released. 

"Unfortunately the memo fails to hold military officials responsible for such deadly mistakes in the future nor does it call for disciplinary action. Defense Department official John Kirby admitted the Pentagon was 'not approving or calling for additional accountability.' 

"No apology was forthcoming from Gen. Milley. No official responsible for the fatal Kabul attack was fired, demoted, or asked to resign. 

"If the Pentagon is serious about halting its mounting toll of civilian deaths, there’s a simple solution: Stop firing missiles and start firing generals." 

A New Message Looking for T-shirt 

The War Machine Will Never Work
Because It's Missing a Peace 

I Fought the Law and the Law Won