Ira White's Open Salon Blog

The Bomb Blast that Was-The Reporting that Wasn't

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:10:41 -0400

Last week I reported that there was a bomb blast at #Occupy Salem Oregon. An hour after putting up my post, I decided that this should have been covered by local media so I searched out the local newspapers. I found three references to the explosion. One reference was a link to my article, one reference speculated that the explosion was fireworks or a homemade bomb and the other reference was that it might have been fireworks. I felt that I had done my job.

A few hours after posting I received a comment on my article that chided me for in effect shouting “FIRE!” in a crowded theatre.

I decided to go back and recheck my references. The email and the tweet were my first two references and in neither case was I able to get back in touch. There was a statement on Facebook that mentioned an explosion and fireworks as a possibility. Then there was the local newspaper, The Statesman Journal. I found that they had removed my link and the link to the story that had mentioned fireworks or a homemade bomb. The third link, which was a link to a story within the Statesman Journal, was still there. I clicked on it and found the title had been revised to read: Police investigate report of firework thrown near Occupy Salem group. The article that followed was short and to the point:

Police investigated a report that someone threw a bomb or firework at Occupy Salem protesters this afternoon.

Salem police said someone in the Occupy Salem group at Willson park reported hearing a bang, then saw a vehicle speed off.

Sgt. Gordon Albert said other witnesses thought they heard a firework. Albert said police investigated and didn’t find evidence of any fireworks, improvised fireworks or explosive devices.

No one was injured.

Police were called to the State Street side of the park about 2:45 p.m.

Feeling very insecure, I emailed a thank you to the Open Salon member who commented on my blog with the revision of the article which included a paraphrase of the new report and a link to the article it came from. It looked like I had jumped the gun and put something out there that was not true. I felt terrible. I did not want to be responsible for spreading something that was untrue and inflammatory as well. I even considered a public apology for getting it wrong. My better instincts told me to go get the real facts first.

It was Friday before I was able to make the 4 1/2 hour drive from Pendleton, Or to Salem, OR. Within minutes of arriving at the #Occupy Salem group at Wilson Park, I had confirmed that there had been an explosion that was not fireworks and that the local police had removed some debris from the bomb and were still testing it. Over a dozen witnesses told me of their experience when the bomb went off. Two of them were service men who had served in combat deployments in Iraq. One of them told me he was close enough to smell the chemicals in the air after the bomb went off. He identified it as an improvised explosive device and added that it was an “air bomb” that is, a bomb without shrapnel.

I wandered over to where the blast took place and found the area still wrapped in crime scene tape. The place where the explosive went off was actually across the street from the back end of the #OCS site and was near the front of the Century Link (formerly Quest) building. It seems that just days before the blast, Century Link announced a round of lay-offs and the outsourcing of some of their work overseas. Motive? In addition, I noticed that the Century Link building had cameras right near where the bomb went off. I wonder if the police accessed them and what they showed.

So the story is that there was a bomb blast at #Occupy Salem Oregon, that it was thrown in an area where there were no people, had no shrapnel and judging by the actual place it landed was not intended to do even any destruction to structures nearby and as a result no one was hurt. Wrong.

The above are the facts. The real story is that the media in this country is owned by the 1% and shoddy inaccurate reporting has become the norm. When #OCS began, I was there to report that there were over 500 people in attendance. This number was correct. I got my information from a person who actually counted the people as they returned from the march. Most of the media that I read stated that there were about 200 marchers. If you look closely at the video they are airing from Wall Street and other demonstrations, you will find that many of the shots are of the most outrageous appearing people in the crowd. The everyday types aren’t photogenic enough? This is sensationalist type reporting and there is no place for it.

Reporting should be of the facts. The Statesman Journal’s report about the bomb on the web was shoddy indeed. It smacked of lazy, inaccurate reporting. These are uncertain times. The direction our country is going depends on what we do and how we do it. The reporting of incidents is important and could influence many people. It needs to be spot on.

Above is the curb and a good shot of the crime scene tape. Below is a picture of the cameras that were just a few feet away from the blast.

Conflict and Bomb Blast At #Occupy Salem, OR

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:10:59 -0400

Around 2:30 yesterday, a bomb was thrown from a car into Wilson Park which is now occupied by several demonstrators. The bomb apparently was thrown into an area where there were no people. No one was hurt but it did cause a stir among the Occupy Salem group. At this time no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the blast and no arrests have been made. Update: According to an article in the Statesman Journal the explosive device thrown at Wilson Park was investigated by police. No evidence of an explosive device was found. Link : http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011111025026

(Author's note: The above link contains erroneous information. See the following link for more info: http://open.salon.com/blog/ira_white/2011/10/31/the_bomb_blast_that_was-the_reporting_that_wasnt

The explosion comes at a time when the Wilson Park Supervisor has been clashing with #Occupy Salem over their permit to allow the growing occupation space at the park. The group has been working with officials to get an extension on the permit hoping to prevent situations such as have recently occurred at Occupy Oakland and Occupy Sacramento in California.

The Park Supervisor will not allow tents to be in the park after 10:00 pm and has made protestors tear down their tents each night except for the medical tent and kitchen tent. The consensus is that officials will let the current permit run out and then find a reason not to issue another. Supporters have been asked to call Governor Kitzhaber to express support for an extended permit. The number is 503-378-4582. In addition, there will be a rally in support of the occupation and continuing the permit at Wilson Park next to the Capitol building this Saturday at noon.

In other news, Governor Kitzhaber visited Wilson Park on Tuesday, Oct. 25. No details of his discussions with #Occupy Salem members have been released. A short video of a portion of the visit can be found here: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid956243495001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAACbuWTFk~,Rp6uUd8XxbCbDqp6OYIF2QhggzMIfWfa&bctid=1239376669001

United We Stand

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 11:10:15 -0400

For years the process of division has gone on in this country. We have become divided in so many ways. Workers were told that environmentalists were going to take their jobs without regard to the fact that an organism needs clean air, water and food to survive and without noting that more jobs would be created. Racism has been stirred up between the many races that inhabit our land. Women who wanted equality in the workplace and elsewhere were pitted against men. Fear of immigrants was spread, fear they would take our jobs and bankrupt our public schools and welfare system. Unemployed people became demonized as lazy do nothings just wanting to collect unemployment. And it goes on.

It went on because we were sucked into it by the manipulation of our own prejudices and fears. It went on because the people had to be divided into smaller groups that could be defeated more easily so the masters could keep us enslaved. It went on because those in power bought up the media and pounded their messages into our brains 24/7. In the end though, it went on because we allowed it to.

But it does not end there. They also co-opted any movement that appeared to be a threat to the greatness of Wall Street. The movements in the sixties were co-opted by tie dyed shirts and lava lamps. The women’s movement was co-opted by television and other media that proclaimed, “We are here at this point where women are free now,” when women had not yet been given and still have not been given equal pay for equal work. And it goes on.

The respect that should exist between us despite our differences was eroded until those who are different from us became the enemy. This country suddenly became a “Christian” nation, another division. Christians became the high road, the moral way, the only way and others who believed differently were peeled off from the rest. Politicians took advantage and pandered to various groups in order to be elected then behaved shamefully thinking the public would never catch on.

When I watch the occupiers of Wall Street on the live stream, I see a hodgepodge of faces- different ages, colors and dress. I see people who are respectful of the differences between themselves and others around them. They are united with one hope, one cause- restore our democracy and bring sanity into this world. This is exactly what this country, this world needs- to put aside our differences and work together to create inclusion of everyone.

I am not talking about a Utopia, for things will never be perfect. How boring would that be? What I am talking about is all of us having respect for others and their differences, all of us realizing that no one has the answer.

We call this country the United States of America. It should be called the United People of America. United we stand, divided we fall.

#Occupy Wall Street

http://www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

Occupy Together

http://www.occupytogether.org/

Theft of Our Country

Sat, 1 Oct 2011 12:10:54 -0400

We are in the midst of a revolution whether you like it or not. If you have your senses about you, then you are hoping that it succeeds. If not, you must be one of the 1% or have been deluded into thinking that they will "take care" of you with the trickle down of wealth that started back in Reagan's day.

Corporations and very wealthy individuals have hijacked our government. Oh we can still vote but how meaningful is it? When money vast amounts of money are injected into our elections it only makes the winners slaves to the greed that has taken our commons, our government, our country by storm. In addition we cannot chose who runs for office. Those who do not have money and do not have the blessing of the 1% cannot particiapate in the televised debates. It is clear the system is rigged.

I and others have warned against this very thing for years and few have listened. Listen now. You can hear the chants of those occupying Wall Street. But it is not just Wall Street- many cities are now dealing with occupations. A complete list and how you can join can be found here . The revolution has begun and you either side with the 1% who own almost everything or you side with the people.

I wrote a piece on corporate and individual greed not long ago and a friend of mine sent me a comment via facebook: "Are you jealous of their success?" No, I am not jealous. I am outraged. I am outraged that just 1% of the population controls more than 180 million of us who work daily for a very slim piece of the economy. I am outraged that so many are unemployed, hungry, lost or losing their homes. I am outraged that money is being spent to twist the laws so that they may STEAL resources from the rest of us without consequences. I am outraged that so many Americans who abhor theft and are so willing to put someone who steals from a liquor store in jail for long sentences cannot make the connection between this theft and the theft of our country and political processes by the 1%.

It is time for you to be outraged as well. Join in online and watch the streaming video of these protests. Donate to them. Write about them to your newspapers, on your blogs. Show solidarity. And get off your butts and go and put your body on the line. If I were not in the middle of some legal wrangling and did not have an 89 year old father to take care of I would be out there myself. Perhaps if the legal matters get solved soon, I will be free enough to spend some time at one of the protests. I know we all have busy lives. Some of us actually are still employed. But there are still things you can do. Do Them!!

Toad Hall Part 5: Broke Down

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 19:01:31 -0500

Gandalf and Holly moved to St. Johnsbury while I hitched back to the West Coast to get together some money and essentials to load into my VW bus and bring back to Vermont. I did not want to be unprepared for the cold weather I was told I would have to deal with if I spent the winter in Vermont. By the time I returned, Gandalf was working at a restaurant and sports bar in St. J. When I came limping into town with my overheated and definitely broken VW, I went to the apartments where Holly and Gandalf were living and parked in the lot. The sigh of relief the VW gave when I turned off the key told me that this vehicle was going no where under its own power until it was fixed.

I learned that my friends had made a connection with the nephew of the owner of the apartments. His name was Tony and he was like an extra large smiling teddy bear. He was always dressed nice and drove a new black Cadillac. Both Tony and his aunt were independently wealthy, but they did not flaunt it. Instead, they used their extra money to help others. Tony took me up to see his aunt who turned out to be a very nice woman with a small amount of crazy added in. Her apartment was the place of a dual shrine. One shrine stood on one end of the living room with candles, crosses and several different pictures of Jesus. The other faced it on the opposite end and it featured several pictures and a bust statue of President John F, Kennedy. Other than the shrines, the apartment was as you would have expected from a middle class elderly person living alone: clean, fairly neat and furnished modestly.

I had found out that my engine needed a top end overhaul and that was going to take some doing and some time as well as a place to work. Tony’s aunt told me she did not want me to be a permanent fixture, but that I could stay in the lot for the time being and fix my bus. This wonderful news was only diminished by the sheer magnitude of the problem I now had to solve. I had a book describing the step by step process of doing the work but I had never done it before. I had some of the tools but there were two key tools I did not possess and did not have the money to buy: a floor jack and a torque wrench. No rentals were available either.

As it turned out, I had the most valuable resource imaginable: Tony. He was not really a working person though I believe he had worked at some time. Being independently wealthy puts some people in a different frame of mind. Some use their time to desperately try to increase their fortunes while others use their free time to do good things for other people. Tony was the latter. Not only did he have money but he knew everyone in town. This became rather important when I needed to borrow a floor jack to remove the engine and a torque wrench to get the heads on the cylinders down just as tight as they had to be and no more. Whenever I needed a part, tool or whatever, Tony would be there with his car to ferry me around town until we filled the need.

While I did my work on the VW, I could not help but notice the people hanging out the windows of the apartments hollering and waving at me, cheering me on as I worked. I soon found out that the apartments were rented primarily by a number of people who had once lived in the Vermont State Hospital and had been turned out to save the state money. There had been no where for these people to go but Tony’s aunt, bless her loving heart, allowed them to live in her apartment building. Now I was their TV, not to say that I think I am more interesting than TV, it’s just that I was something different in their lives and we all know how boring daytime TV is!

In the mean time, Holly and Gandalf invited me to dinner every night. They also invited Tony who invariably showed up early with a roast or a chicken in his hands. Holly always told him that they invited him to dinner not to bring dinner. Then she would give him a great big hug. You could see Tony melt all over the place. He knew they were in a bad spot financially but were trying to make things more stable. Holly’s hugs let him know he was appreciated.

Holly was pregnant at this time. Kevin and Barb, the couple who got hitched in the Park were also pregnant. Barb and Holly got pregnant at the same time and became fast friends. Both families realized that it would be safer if they moved from the Park and wound up doing so at the same time and landing in the same place. I don’t know for sure but I would bet that Kevin and Barb helped Gandalf and Holly with their VW bus because they did not have a vehicle available to them to make the 50 some odd mile move from the north.

One morning, as I lay sleeping in my bus, I had a dream that a lovely lady was dancing with me. We danced all night long and I fell in love with her. I remember wondering at how large the dance floor in my VW was as I swept her in my arms around and around the floor. In my dream she was dancing me into my sleeping area and when she laid me down she gave me a kiss on my neck. It was all so real, I felt that kiss on my neck for hours after I woke up and wrote a poem about it as well.

After writing the poem, I wandered the streets of St. J and wound up writing another poem called “Blues On Monday.” I had not told anyone, but this day was my birthday. By late afternoon I was still in a blue mood but somewhat hungry. I had some change in my pocket so I stopped at a pizza place crammed in between two other businesses in one of St. J’s old buildings. With my hands full of a very juicy roast beef sandwich, I sat on the steps under a grey sky eating.

Suddenly a nice looking woman about my age appeared. She smiled as she pushed up the steps past me. She came out a few minutes later eating a slice of pizza.

“May I sit next to you?” she asked.

“Why, yes you can,” was my startled answer.

We sat and talked for awhile and finally both of us finished our meals. I had found out that her name was Rose and she was a local elementary teacher. Instead of parting, Rose asked me if I would like to go out dancing. We wound up dancing our way through both of the local dance halls and a couple quarts of beer.

Rose and I began a relationship that was to last just a short time. She was a very nice woman and a good teacher. Unfortunately she was robbed of her life by an X who used to lock her in a closet and party with other women all night long. He physically abused her making it so that she could give love but not receive it. When someone offered her love, she would suddenly sink into herself, unable to respond to the person making the overture. Too many people are abused. Some of the stories I have heard from women are exceedingly gruesome. One of the things done to Rose was her partner handed her a peace pipe and asked her to light it. When she did, the bowl nearly exploded and waves of searing heat burned her lungs. It had been loaded with gunpowder.

After I heard her story, I told myself I had no right to ever be depressed again. Some of us are capable of great deeds and give to those around us while others get their kicks out of a meanness that goes beyond description. What came next in my journey was a test to see who I was and how I measured up in a dicey situation that gave me some difficult choices.

Here are the addresses to the other posts:

A Simple, Old Fashioned Christmas

http://open.salon.com/blog/ira_white/2010/12/24/a_simple_old_fashioned_christmas

Toad Hall:An Experiment in Living, Part 1

http://open.salon.com/blog/ira_white/2010/12/26/toad_hall_an_experiment_in_living

Toad Hall: Part 2 Life in a Teepee

http://open.salon.com/blog/ira_white/2010/12/31/toad_hall_part_2_life_in_a_teepee

Toad Hall Part 3: A Wedding on My Doorstep

http://open.salon.com/blog/ira_white/2011/01/05/toad_hall_part_3_a_wedding_on_my_doorstep

Toad Hall: Part 4 The Characters

http://open.salon.com/blog/ira_white/2011/01/10/toad_hall_part_5_the_characters