Some do emigrate away from the US

Over the last few months, many have included me on their email lists to discuss the political issues... I got this last night...

Well, Elizabeth and I are leaving at about 5am tomorrow morning up to
Port Angeles, where we will catch the Black Ball Ferry in order to meet
with our Immigration Advisor. We'll talk, we'll give him money, and then
we'll catch the ferry over to Vancouver and check that out.


It isn't *absolutely* certain we'll emigrate to BC, but it looks pretty
damn likely - like a 95% chance. I've given notice at Free Geek and they
hired my replacement last night.


Let's face it, it really is getting scary here. But that's not why I
want to move.


The reality is that the US is the most war-driven nation in the planet's
history. Columbus practiced genocide on the locals because they didn't
have stacks of gold for him. Since the very first settlement in this
country, there has not been a single decade when we have not used
military force against another people. And now we are "mercy killing"
unarmed civilians in their place of worship. The next Attorney General
wrote the memo authorizing torture. The new Education Secretary is
committed to "abstinence only" sex education. Reporters are being fired
and jailed for their investigations. The "media" are deliberately
covering up the e-voting scandal and on buried in this morning's
Oregonian on page A16, Alexander Putin announced that Russia has a new
grade of nuclear weapons systems that surpass anything we have - MAD has
once again become Doctrine. And the people of Oregon has written hatred
and homophobia into their constitution.


After the Quakers initially settled Pennsylvania and made "the only
treaty never sworn and the only treaty never broken", the non-Quaker
settlers came in waves, crossed over the Adirondacks and massacred the
First Nation folk. When the natives fought back, the settlers came to
Philadelphia and demanded that the legislature "protect" them by wiping
out the natives. The Quakers in the legislature were faced with the fact
that they were now a minority among a very blood-thirsty majority and
that they could debate the issue and lose. They realized that they would
be acquiescing in genocide if they remained a part of the Pennsylvania
legislature and quit en masse.


We have dropped all facade of democracy, civil liberties, and justice at
home and abroad. We are at war with the world and with ourselves
internally. If I remain an American, even if I dissent, I am personally
profiting from the exploitation and genocide by my government of every
thing and every people that might prevent the wealthy from becoming even
more so. That profit comes from things like the lower prices in the
almost ALL stores, driven by Wal-Mart at the expense of the benefits
gained by the labor movement. That profit comes from the rape of the
environment that gives me cheap gas prices. That profit comes from my
going along with the program, even while I bitch and moan about it.


As a Conscientious Objector, I will not go into war as a medic, saving
soldier's lives just so they could go back and kill some more - but with
the self-justification that I didn't pull the trigger. As a
Conscientious Objector, I will not cross a picket line or break a
boycott just because it is inconvenient.


As a Conscientious Objector, I cannot any longer give any form of
acquiescence to the engines of our economy in their rape and murder of
our world.


We are leaving. Not because we are afraid of Gonzales nee Ashcroft. Not
because of the defunding of our public schools. Not because of Measure
37 is going to turn Oregon into a giant strip mall.


We are leaving so we can experience life in a truly free society. We are
leaving so we can breath freedom and live in peace with the world. We
are leaving for a place that shares our ideals.


We will still visit you and we will, of course, welcome you when you
decide you can take no more. I have lived on three continents and I have
always returned to Portland. Someday, Cascadia will be independent.
Someday, we will return.


Peace,
-Ron