An event at Elliott Bay Book Company this afternoon. In addition to my presentation, three local activists read from “Peace Under Fire”, a newly released book of writings by ISM volunteers.

It was good to hear their stories. This is one of the gifts of this tour. Hearing the stories…The African American girl from New Orleans, growing up in a poor neighborhood, who identifies with the fear and vulnerability of kids in Palestine. The soldier just back from Iraq who cannot forget the face of a child from Bagdad. The Jew who identifies as a Palestinian. The Arab who speaks his story in a whisper. The Palestinian refugee from 1967 living in Knoxville, TN. The Indian living on a reservation in Washington who links the colonialization of Palestine with the colonialization of this country. A life-long Republican in New Jersey, leaving the party and voting for the Greens. The ISM activist who cannot speak of his time in Jenin and the kids who were killed and injured there without crying.

Since January, I have been on the road. When I bring my mind back to each state, each city, I think of all the people I’ve met and the stories they’ve shared.

Thinking about these days:

“The Enlightenment came into being by expelling or marginalizing the religious perspective without which some of the oddest vagaries of the human drama become incomprehensible.”

“There may be no more urgent task today than that of renouncing religious superstition and freeing ourselves from its grip, but we’re not likely to do so by abandoning the spiritual tradition that taught us to be wary of religious superstition in the first place.”

Gil Bailie, “Violence Unveiled”

Freemont Coffee Company

After one of the events yesterday, a recent college graduate, a guy from Gaza, came up to speak with me. He said he didn’t speak during the event as he has recently been twice interviewed by the FBI. The first time, they came to his apartment to let him know they knew he’d driven to California. There was nothing bad about his driving to California. They just wanted him to know they were watching him. The second time, he was looking after an elderly Lebanese friend who was ill and had family coming to visit. The FBI came to ask who was coming and going from his apartment. His story is not unusual. I keep hearing stories like this.

This morning I drove from Twisp, which is in Northeastern Washington, to Bellingham, which is on the West coast near the border with Canada. The mountain pass was out of this world. Felt like I turned a bend on Highway 20 and was suddenly in the Swiss Alps. (I’ve never been there, but I’ve seen pictures and that’s what this looked like.) And I was the only one on the road in the middle of these amazing mountains and snow. I kept passing signs for “chaining up area” and “avalanche area”. You don’t get signs like that in New Jersey or North Carolina. I don’t even know how to “chain up”. I did look in the back of my friend’s car for chains and was a little relieved to find there weren’t any there.

We had a good event at Western Washington University this afternoon and will soon head off to Village Books in historic Bellingham. I still get a kick seeing the book in bookstores. Like I’ve pulled something over on someone.

Ellen

(computer is being repaired. will begin uploading drawings when i get it back on thursday.)

It’s remarkably beautiful here in Twisp. We are surrounded by mountains, some snow-capped. I came in this morning from Omak, behind the Stop the Wall folks (www.stopthewall.us). They are pulling a trailer with a replica of a section of the separation wall being built by the Israeli government. It’s fun to drive behind them and watch people driving in the opposite direction do double takes.

We will do an event together tonight, as we did in Omak last night. With about 5,000 people, Omak is the big city in this part of Eastern Washington. It’s a very conservative town. Across the river is the Colville Indian Reservation. As you might imagine, the crowd was small, however it was good. The judge from the reservation showed up and drew parallels between the colonialist beginnings of the US and Israel.

On the drive to Omak from Seattle, I drove through miles and miles of apple orchards. Some of the trees were in bloom and behind them mountains with snow on top. I thought of Palestine and the beauty of the olive trees and the surrounding hills. Helping friends in Qalqilya and Zebabde harvest their olives. And the taste of the olive oil–better than butter. And meeting Hasan, a spry 91-year old man in Zebabde who drinks it and says it’s why he is so healthy and strong.

A family I know in Qalqilya had their trees uprooted by bulldozers to make way for the seperation wall. Some of these trees were over 200 years old and had been cared for and provided a living for their family for almost as long. An Israeli peace group gave them a gift of new olive trees. However, the wall has taken their land as well. So. There is no place to plant the trees.

An event this morning at the Kadima Jewish Community Center. Passionate conversation followed the presentation.

Several said they appreciated the stories from Palestine AND wanted to hear stories from Israel. One woman responded to that sentiment by questioning the need for telling “both sides” of this particular story. She:”I teach my students about slavery and I doesn’t feel the need to tell the stories of the slave owners…and the same goes when I teach about the Inquisition. Is this so different?” Which led us into a discussion of what makes this conflict unique and what brings up the desire for hearing “two sides of the story”. I invited anyone to tell the stories that they wanted to hear which led to a few suggestions of what I should do with my NEXT book. : – 0.

Two saw the work as potentially “dangerous” if used by those who are anti-semitic, which led us into a discussion about differentiating between anti-semitism and being critical of government policy.

At the end many said they felt glad for the opportunity to talk.