Sunday, May 13, 2007

I'm amazed at the amount of compassion and love that everyone vibed towards Suman yesterday as she received nourishment at the Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. Earlier that day, before she started to get sick, she went shopping for new pots and pans for our co-op, volunteered at the natural history museum and was clawed by a red tail hawk, and baby sat a precious little one downtown. She's doing well now, hanging out and drinking diluted juices and playing guitar. Thanks, everyone for your support and please please take it easy. The collective energy we're generating can be more powerful and sustaining than any meal, any tank of gas, or any nuclear lab. We'll unleash it on the regents soon enough. In the mean time, go slow and hold hands with someone you love.

Teach-in at UCSB on nuke labs

The hunger strikers in front of Cheadle have created awareness: Now practically every UC student at UCSB, UCSC, Berkeley and UCSF knows that our university operates 2 nuclear weapons labs.

But what do these labs really do? Are they building new nuclear weapons? How much waste/pollution do they create? What role does UC play in US nuclear weapons programs? What are the international laws governing nuclear weapons? Isn't it better to have UC manage the labs than a private corporation?

These and many more questions will be answered at this teach-in by the AS Student DOE Lab Oversight Committee.

8:30 pm at the Tent City, in front of Cheadle Hall on the UCSB campus, Tuesday May 15.

Bring five friends.

Z-Net Article: "University of Mass Destruction"

Check out this article on Z Net today, which is a concise description of the importance of UC weapons lab severance and the rationale for our hunger strike.

Day Five, going strong

It's day five of the hunger strike and I feel clear-headed, optimistic and for the most part not too hungry (hooray!)- though the energy can be fickle at times. The day started off well with sunshine and the Beatles greeting our tent city in front of Cheadle Hall here at UCSB and an interview on a local Air America show. Both of the show's hosts were very supportive and extend their support and gratitude to all of the hunger strikers.
Yesterday there were many friendly faces that stopped by the tent community including two young girls who made signs and chalk art with the messages "nasty nukes," "nukes are stinky," and "nukes are evil." They even wanted to camp out with us. It was refreshing to see how passionate children were about what we are doing and how clear the issue is to them as opposed to many grown adults.
The letters of support flooding in from across the globe are certainly keeping the morale up amongst the hunger strikers - keep them coming! It helps to be constantly reminded at the global scope of what we are doing. Not only does nuclear abolition concern all humanity but these steps towards ending American imperialism by stopping the production of new nuclear weapons are something extremely necessary to foster a healthy global society.
Thanks for supporting us on our attempts to act NOW as opposed to the common rhetoric of "not yet" or not as drastic.
And to all of the hunger strikers and hard working supporters - stay strong, I am honored to be in this with you.
No Nukes. No Wars. peace.

good natured fun coming your way! stop by!

sent on facebook as

Day 5 of the Fast Fiesta

"Join hunger strikers and supporters tomorrow (Sunday) from 12:00-5:00PM across from Campbell Hall for a fun filled afternoon of art, music, and expression.

Try the plutonium pit toss, bowl for regents, or just learn more about our ongoing campaign against the UC's role in the engineering, testing and manufacturing of nuclear weapons.

Don't be shy, we're too weak from fasting to be frightening.

Bring a drum or guitar, art supplies, friends, and any donations of water or juice you can spare! See you there!"

love.