Category: Election

By Michael Moore

First, let’s acknowledge what we all know to be true: Trump is in deep, deep trouble—in the pocket of Russians, surrounded by alt-right idiots, alone in his bathrobe in a mostly empty White House—and caught inside a disgusting “shit-sandwich,” so said his supporter who turned down the NSA job.

Only one month into his so-called presidency—and yet there is good news, as this is what the American landscape looks like:

• Tens of thousands of citizens across the country have stormed congressional district offices and town hall meetings to express their rage at the Trump agenda (a dejected Republican congressman, after a three-hour verbal assault from his angry constituents, said on TV last night, “Let’s face it—they [the Obamacare supporters] have won”).

The good folks who are organizing the “OB March 4 Impeachment” have issued a Mission Statement (the OB Rag is co-sponsoring the event) on the facebook page – and as of this posting, nearly 400 people pledged their participation, with another near 2,000 interested.

Here is the statement:

Mission Statement:

Welcome to the resistance!

The March 4 Impeachment is just one of thousands of events to promote the efforts to resist the Trump agenda. We resist his misogynistic, xenophobic, and climate denial policies to name a few.

Why Impeach?

by Julia Shotwell /The Point – lomabeat.com

Since Trump’s inauguration, America has witnessed both feminist pro-women marches in the streets and pro-immigration protests at airports. The result is that these demonstrations have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Not everyone likes the idea of people walking around with signs and shouting into the void.

After I walked through Downtown San Diego for the Women’s March, I experienced the people I am closest to telling me that my marching was stupid and my signs were silly.

He’s the Democratic Congressman for District 52 – the Congressional District that includes Ocean Beach and Point Loma – and his name is Scott Peters. Last night at the Islamic Center of San Diego, there were so many people crowded into the large room, that he called it the largest town hall meeting he’d ever seen – all because of Trump, he said.

Estimates of the crowd range from over 200 to about 150 – and included several OBceans at least – but whatever the number, the town hall meeting at Eckstrom Avenue in San Diego was lively as Peters fielded questions from the audience on immigration, Trump’s border wall, the EPA, and how to deal with the Trump administration.

San Diegans are holding a March in Solidarity with Immigrants on Saturday, February 18th. It kicks off with a Rally at Waterfront Park (1600 Pacific Hwy), then after speeches, a march to the Federal Building – for more speakers – and finally a march through downtown to the Mayor’s Office.

(As of this posting, 1,700 have pledged to attend, with another 4,900 interested in attending.)

From their facebook:

Rain or Shine! We are calling on all people to unite and march in support of Immigrants and Refugees.

While San Diego has the busiest border crossing in the world and has one of the largest immigrant and refugee populations in the country, San Diego Mayor Faulconer has taken no action to protect immigrants against Trump’s policies.

As part of a set of actions at courthouses across the country, San Diego lawyers and legal workers rallied in downtown San Diego today – February 17 – in front of the Federal Courthouse on Front Street, all in solidarity with the proclaimed General Strike Against Trump on F17.

Several dozen brave folks made their voices heard and presence known in front of the red-bricked buildings, as the wind kicked up and the skies promised rain. Additionally, there were courthouse rallies in at least 17 other cities nation-wide.

On February 17th a wide array of concerned citizens and organizers from across the United States are calling for a national General Strike Against Trump, and are asking people not to go to work or school, or participate in economic and peaceful actions.

In solidarity, progressive lawyers and legal groups in San Diego have called for a Friday morning rally, part of a nation-wide coordinated effort where lawyers are rallying at courthouses in at least 18 cities.

COME INSIDE FOR DETAILS

A looming decision by the San Diego City Council could threaten the presence of a well-known marijuana testing lab in Ocean Beach that has been here for 6 years.

PharmLabs on Cable Street is reportedly “one of the first internationally accredited testing labs for marijuana in the world,” and “the premier business of its kind in the region”, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

But it’s possible that the lab will be closed by new City rules on dealing with marijuana legalization and have to move out of metro San Diego. In early February, the City Council voted to authorize medical cannabis dispensaries to sell recreational marijuana after California guidelines are completed, probably in late 2017.

Egypt Also Excluded – Major Recipient of U.S. Military Aid

By John Lawrence

Why did Trump try to impose tighter vetting on 7 nations in the Middle East without including Saudi Arabia and Egypt? Could it be that it’s because Saudi Arabia which is a hotbed of terrorism is also an ally of the US and an enemy of Iran?

Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. Osama bin Laden was a Saudi. The machete wielding attacker at the Louvre recently was Egyptian. Neither Egypt nor Pakistan nor Afghanistan were included on the so-called President’s list. Pakistan harbored bin Laden. Afghanistan is the home of the Taliban. If Trump had wanted to keep terrorists out of the US, surely he should have included these countries in his ban. But terrorism is more about U.S. alliances than it is about morality or human rights.

Tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 15th, there are 2 meetings of Indivisible San Diego, one in North Park and one in Point Loma.

Indivisible San Diego Central will be bringing together people from all five local districts at Queen Bees, 3925 Ohio St, San Diego, CA 92104, (619) 255-5147 – at 6:30. This would be an opportunity for OBceans and Point Lomans to participate in the exploding Indivisible movement and networks. OB and Point Loma are in Scott Peters’ 52nd Congressional District.

For San Diegans who reside in the 53rd Congressional District of Susan Davis, there is an Indivisible San Diego East District 53 meeting at the Loma Riviera Clubhouse, 3115 Loma Riviera Dr, Point Loma (CA 92107). It begins at 6:30 PM.

In an upfront effort to replicate the effort by folks up in Ocean Beach of San Francisco to spell out the word “RESIST”, locals are now organizing a similar move here in Ocean Beach, San Diego.

In a definite move to up the ante, San Diegans want to spell out the word “IMPEACH” on the beach just north of the OB Pier on Saturday, March 4th.

The plan is to march up the beach from Dog Beach and in a ‘putting your body where your mouth is’ kind of thing, spell out in hundred foot letters the word “Impeach”.

Thousands of protesters gathered on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach on Saturday, using their bodies to send a political message. To spectators on the beach, the purpose of the protest may have seemed unclear.

But from the sky, there was no question. Thousands of people spelled out “RESIST!!” on the sand.

Organizer Brad Newsham wrote on Facebook that “a close study of a high-resolution overhead shot shows between 4,600 and 5,600 participants.”