dancewater: Upcoming events for the week of July 29, 2018

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR BY DANCEWATER

Please note: This will be the last email calendar that I do for the foreseeable future. This came from Asheville SURJ: “Anyone who would like to continue to receive information about ways to show up for racial justice in Asheville can send their contact information to avlsurj@gmail.net.”

07/31/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 4:30 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace.

07/31/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS PROGRAM

Election Security in Today’s Political Climate will be on Tuesday, July 31 from 6:00 – 7:30pm at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Is your vote protected? Election Security in Today’s Political Climate. This is a free program in the League’s Hot Topic’s series. In 2016, American elections were allegedly targeted by a foreign nation-state intent on infiltrating and manipulating our electoral process. Voters are concerned about what is being done to protect their vote. The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County is hosting a panel discussion that will help clarify the issues and actions by state and county officials for vote security. Dr. Ashley Moraguez, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina Asheville will give an overview of election security and how if affects the electoral process. Senator Terry Van Duyn, 49th Senatorial District, NC will address how these issues are being handled by our state. Trena Velez, Director of Elections, Buncombe County will speak about what precautions are being taken on the county level and Jennifer Sparks, Election Specialist, Buncombe County, will provide information on technical aspects of voter security. Trena Velez, Director of Elections, Buncombe County will speak about what precautions are being taken on the county level and Jennifer Sparks, Election Specialist, Buncombe County, will provide information on technical aspects of voter security. After brief presentations, there will be time for questions. Light refreshments will be provided. For additional information contact: Nancy Detweiler or Alex Nuesse.For more information, contact communications.lwvab@gmail.com.

07/31/18 SAVING ENERGY IN FAITH COMMUNITIES

Saving Energy in Faith Communities; loving neighbors & creation in Western North Carolina. July 31, 2018 from 6-8 pm at First Congregational Church at 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Learn how your faith community can save money and energy to provide a more sustainable future for your congregation and Western North Carolina. This is a practical money-saving conversation with Duke Energy, the Creation Care Alliance and North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light. Join us for light food and beverages as we learn more about Duke energy efficiency programs for faith communities, the future of energy in WNC and how this all intersects with our spiritual lives. If you are on the property team, finance team or board of your faith community, if you are clergy or layperson, if you have a community or personal interest in lowering costs and caring for creation this workshop is for you. Contact Scott at scott@creationcarealliance.org for more information.

08/02/18 PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

This is a multimedia facilitated class series based on talks about personal peace by Prem Rawat. Free. Time is 6:30 to 7:30 PM and this will be held at the Montford Community Center at 34 Pearson Drive in Asheville. This started on 06/21/18 and goes until 08/23/18. Contact jtfbuilder@gmail.com.

08/02/18 GREEN DRINKS

Eco-presentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at Edwin Place and Charlotte Street in north Asheville. Also, this is the Sierra Club Meeting. See listing for more information.

08/02/18 SIERRA CLUB MEETING

Sierra Club August 2: The Effects of Climate Change on WNC. On August 2, the Sierra Club presents Professor Dee Edgers, UNC Asheville Environmental Studies, who will discuss the effects of climate change on western North Carolina. Time is 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at 1 Edwin Place in north Asheville. Even the most optimistic scenarios of carbon emission reduction will create a variety of challenges and opportunities for WNC. WNC is uniquely situated to become a model of climate change adaptation and demonstrate ways to become carbon negative or “climate positive.” Dr. Eggers will address updated estimates of climate impacts on WNC, ways we can increase regional resilience, and opportunities to go beyond carbon neutral. Dr. Dee Eggers is an Associate Professor in UNCA’s Environmental Studies Department. Dr. Eggers served on the NC Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change from 2005-2010. She teaches a variety of courses including environmental policy, natural resources management, the greening of institutions, and the humanities senior capstone, Cultivating Global Citizenship. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Judy Mattox, judymattox@sbcglobal.net or (828) 683-2176.

08/02/18 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE MEETING

Creation Care Gathering-our regular CCA meeting. Highlighting the door to door LED Light Project of Piney Mountain United Methodist Church with Special Guest: Susannah Tuttle from NC Interfaith Power and Light. Date is Thursday, August 2, from 6-7:30 PM. Light meal included. Location is Piney Mountain United Methodist Church at 14 Piney Mountain Church Road in Candler. Contact Jane Laping janelaping@sbcglobal.net to carpool from Earth Fare at Westgate Shopping Center (meet at 5:30pm). Coming together to share compassion and ideas. We will learn about the creation care work of our host congregation through a conversation and tour, hear about CCA and community events and work, as well as hear ideas. If you are connected to a faith community, a green team or creation care team member, clergy, or are interested in learning more about LED Light Bulb Outreach or the Creation Care Alliance this meeting is for you. Susannah Tuttle, the Director of North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light will be joining us from Raleigh. Contact Scott at scott@creationcarealliance.org for more information.

08/03/18 TROUBLE SCREENING AT FIRESTORM

This will be on Friday, Aug 3, from 6:30 to 8:00pm at Firestorm Books at 6110 Haywood Street in west Asheville. “Trouble” screening is a monthly showing of the 30 minute documentary Trouble by sub.Media followed by a directed conversation. This month's film is “Defend the Block: Fighting Back Against Gentrification.” Gentrification, like all facets of capitalism, is often presented to its victims as a natural process. Shrouded in the logic of progress and polished up with euphemisms like ‘neighbourhood revitalization’ or ‘urban renewal’ the violent displacement that it brings in its wake is carefully hidden behind a cover of market forces, zoning changes, public consultations and glitzy marketing campaigns. But those who have felt the force of the ‘invisible hand’ plucking them from their communities and pushing them out of their homes are not so easily fooled. The illusion that gentrification is natural, or even inevitable fact of life, is shattered when people decide to take a stand and fight back. Attacks targeting the front-line agents of gentrification force people to take sides. Often, the resulting sense of clarity can cut through the smokescreen of inclusivity and social peace that states and capitalists use to lull us into believing our communities are nothing more than potential sites of investment. They remind us that our neighborhoods have a pulse, and that they are physical territories whose futures can be contested, and ultimately shaped, by the people who live in them. In this month's episode of Trouble, the second of a two-part series on gentrification, sub.Media talks to comrades in Montreal, the Bay Area and Berlin to see how people in these cities are fighting back on attacks on their communities by developers, real estate speculators and the tech industry. Contact Firestorm for more information.

08/04/18 RACIAL HEALING WORKSHOP

Story Medicine for Racial Healing, an introductory workshop with Meta Commerse, artist, teacher, healer: Come, join our learning community and discover the power of two vital concepts: an ancient Indigenous modality and racial healing. This two-hour workshop uses holistic education principles and reinforces the need to heal a deep and old wound we all share. Workshop is also an opportunity to register for the seven-week class. Workshop will be held Saturday, August 4, 2018, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., $25.00. Location is The Chapel, 18 Beverly Road West, Asheville, NC 28806. Story Medicine for Racial Healing, a seven-week class with Meta Commerse, artist, teacher, healer: Learning tools and materials offer a heightened awakening and opportunity for healing in a seven-week, collaborative experience. Work in ritual space. Share and hear stories of oppression in our sacred container. Use the materials to imagine a vision for wholeness for yourself and your learning community. Class schedule: Wednesdays, August 22, through October 3, 2018, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. To register, attend workshop on 08/04/18 OR call 828-407-3367 for details. Space is limited.

08/05/18 DEMOCRACY NC EVENT

Join us for this faith forum with details about ‘What's on the Ballot’ in Asheville, on August 5. Please join Democracy NC for a faith forum on learning how to practice electoral justice to impact your community. Many of us have been shaped by sacred texts that call us to tell the truth to ourselves, to each other and to our civic culture. And while every day provides opportunities to speak out in truth, this November’s election is a particularly crucial time for all of us to practice justice with our votes. The Carolina Jews for Justice states: We are in a state of moral emergency. There will be constitutional amendments on the November ballot that will shape the well-being of our state for years to come, and as voters we have the power to determine that shape. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reminds us that, “People of faith have a powerful role to play in activating citizen engagement and raising key issues with candidates.” Come and learn how to practice electoral justice and how to have the most impact in your community. This is on Sunday, August 5, from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Location is Beth Ha-Tephila Congregation at 43 N. Liberty Street in Asheville. RSVP to let us know you'll be there. We invite everyone to this learning in action. Bring a friend, a neighbor, a colleague. Contact JaNesha Slaughter with questions (including how to register) at (828) 417-4296 or janesha@democracy-nc.org. Need childcare for this event? Let JaNesha know.

08/06/18 2ND ANNUAL FEAST IN THE SUNNY POINT GARDEN FUND RAISER

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location: Monday, August 6, 2018 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Sunny Point Café at 626 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Riverbend Malt House, Sunny Point Cafe and Bountiful Cities team up to bring you the 2nd annual FEAST in the Sunny Point Garden Benefit Dinner. All proceeds from this event will directly support FEAST cooking and garden education in Asheville area schools and after school programs. Ticket price includes dinner buffet with: locally raised pork dishes, farm fresh sides, Sunny Point signature desserts, and a selection of beverages including Archetypte Brewing. Vegetarian options available. This is a rain or shine event, in the event or rain, seating will be moved into the restaurant. Tickets are $50. More information, including how to get tickets, at feast.avl@gmail.com.

08/07/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/07/18 CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB

Join host Bruce Roth for a lively discussion on topics of current interest including war and peace, the economy, the environment, and other hot political topics. The selection for August is No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria by Rania Abouzeid. Event date: Tuesday, August 7, 2018 - 7:00pm. Event address: Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville.

08/07/18 VIGIL TO COMMEMORATE THE BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

The Western North Carolina Chapter of PSR is sponsoring a vigil to commemorate the seventy third year since the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It will be held in front of the Vance Memorial Obelisk in Downtown Asheville on Tuesday, August 7th from 4:30-5:30 PM. We encourage you to attend so as to remind people that we need to do what we can so as to prevent the use of nuclear weapons ever again. We hope you will attend. For more information contact Dr. Terry Clark, Chair, 633-0892 or Dr. Lew Patrie, 299-1242.

08/09/18 PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

08/09/18 PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

Let's Protect Voting Rights in North Carolina - 2018 action is more important than ever. Hosts are Kathi Ballard, John Cram & Matt Chambers, Libby & Michael de Caetani, Betsy Levitas, Kim McGuire & Jim Samsel, LeNoir Medlock and Charlton Bradsher. Date is Thursday, August 9, 2018. At 7pm there will be a brief screening of acclaimed documentary “Capturing the Flag” (about voter protection in NC) at the Fine Arts Theatre. This will be followed by reception with drinks and light fare at Blue Spiral. Meet Executive Director Tomas Lopez and hear our strategy for fighting the anti-voting and democracy amendments and increasing participation at the ballot box. Location is 36-38 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Sponsor Levels are Leadership Circle $2,500/yr for 3 yrs; Beacon $5,000; Champion $2,500; Guardian $1,000; Protector $500; Ally $250; Partner $175 (each sponsorship comes with two tickets). Individual ticket is $50. To become a sponsor or to RSVP, contact development@democracync.org.

08/10/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS EVENT

Getting to Yes! - Reasonable Redistricting. August 10, 2018 from 11:30 am - 3:00 pm. Location is Kenilworth Presbyterian Church at 123 Kenilworth Road in Asheville. League of Women Voters of NC is sponsoring series to talk about the new push for Reasonable Redistricting. The clock is ticking for getting a better system in place in NC for the 2020 census. Without the option of a ballot initiative, we need to create a broad consensus for change. During the workshops, we will learn more about issues involved in redistricting, and will identify local community stakeholders and decision-makers as potential partners with the League to work on redistricting reform. We must act now to prevent another decade of gerrymandering! Be a part of the process! Feel free to invite others, including non-League members, who are willing to work towards the goal of getting this much-needed reform passed. Complimentary lunch will be provided to workshop attendees before the workshop begins. Registration is required (no charge). Please indicate if you will also join us for lunch. Please contact League of Women Voters of Asheville Buncombe County at communications.lwvab@gmail.com for information on how to register.

08/11/16 WNC HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION PROGRAM

WNC Historical Association Cherokee Heritage Program will be on 08/11/18 from 2:00 pm-3:30 pm. Location is the Reuter Center - Manheimer Room at UNCA. The Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) presents an ongoing series of Saturday afternoon events at the Reuter Center, home of OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville. The August 11 presentation will be Archaeology of Mounds and Towns in the Cherokee Heartland of Western North Carolina, presented by Ben Steere Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Cherokee Studies Program at Western Carolina University. Admission is $5 as a donation to the WNCHA, with the group's members admitted free. Contact for this event is OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville at olli@unca.edu or 828.251.6140.

08/12/18 WNC GREEN PARTY MEETING

Our next meeting will be August 12 at 5 pm at Habitat Tavern and Commons in Asheville. I have written to Community Roots asking them to be our guest speaker for the month, so we will be able to hear what they are doing in the community. Contact Camille at camillm@g.clemson.edu for more information.

08/13/18 TRANSYLVANIA NAACP MEETING

NAACP General Membership and Executive Committee meeting: 6:15 p.m., Bethel A Baptist Church, 290 Oakdale Street in Brevard. Our meetings are always on the second Monday of the month. All are welcome!

08/13/18 VOTER ENGAGEMENT COALITION MEETING

Monday, August 13 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. Monthly on the second Monday. Location is 50 South French Broad Avenue in Asheville. Organizer: Voter Engagement Coalition Events. This was listed on the League for Women Voters of Asheville Buncombe County website.

08/14/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/15/18 “WE THE PEOPLE” SCREENING

Interested in Community Rights and why big corporations have more rights than we do? This film showcases the work of CELDF and the Community Rights movement across the US. “We the People 2.0” is about the loss of democracy in the United States. The story unfolds through the eyes of rural people and sacrifice zones in urban communities who have faced decades of toxic dumps, drilling and mines in their communities. These people come to understand that the reason they can’t stop the destruction is that the US has become an oligarchy, run by the corporate few who ignore the rights and will of the people. These people are frontally challenging our corporate state; thereby saving nature and themselves. Thomas Linzey, a nonprofit attorney’s inspiring words shows how, we, the people, can turn this around and lay claim to our democracy. This movement is building as you read this, not just in this country but around the world; this film shows how and where it all began. Time is 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm and location is The Block off Biltmore at Market and Eagle Streets in downtown Asheville. Contact The Block at 828-254-9277 for more information.

08/16/18 PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

08/16/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS BOARD MEETING

Public comment open at the beginning of each meeting. This is the League of Women Voters of Asheville Buncombe County. August 16, 2018 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. Location is The Cathedral of All Souls, 9 Swan Street in Asheville. Join us in the CE Room. Email communications.lwvab@gmail.com for more information.

08/16/18 NOTORIOUS HISTORY BOOK CLUB

Join host and Malaprop’s bookseller Patricia Furnish to discuss a range of books across different periods of history. We’re creating a book club that tackles the challenging subjects, hence “notorious.” This month’s pick is “Les Parisiennes: Resistance, Collaboration, and the Women of Paris Under Nazi Occupation” by Anne Sebba. Event date: Thursday, August 16, 2018 - 7:00pm. Event address: Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville.

08/16/18 DEMOCRACY NC EVENT

Join us for this faith forum with details about ‘What's on the Ballot’ in Asheville, on August 16. Please join Democracy NC for a faith forum on learning how to practice electoral justice to impact your community. Many of us have been shaped by sacred texts that call us to tell the truth to ourselves, to each other and to our civic culture. And while every day provides opportunities to speak out in truth, this November’s election is a particularly crucial time for all of us to practice justice with our votes. The Carolina Jews for Justice states: We are in a state of moral emergency. There will be constitutional amendments on the November ballot that will shape the well-being of our state for years to come, and as voters we have the power to determine that shape. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) reminds us that, “People of faith have a powerful role to play in activating citizen engagement and raising key issues with candidates.” Come and learn how to practice electoral justice and how to have the most impact in your community. This is on August 16, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Location is Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church at 789 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. RSVP to let us know you'll be there. We invite everyone to this learning in action. Bring a friend, a neighbor, a colleague. Contact JaNesha Slaughter with questions (including how to register) at (828) 417-4296 or janesha@democracy-nc.org. Need childcare for this event? Let JaNesha know. If you have questions, you can also contact Darlene Azarmi at (828) 216-3430 or darlene@democracync.org.

08/17/18 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING

Physicians, health personnel and everyone; all are welcomed at our monthly meetings held on the third Friday of each month. Bring a brown bag lunch around noon. This will be held at The First Congregational United Church of Christ, Room E205, at 20 Oak Street (just off College St. in downtown Asheville). Time is noon to 2 PM. Meeting starts at 12:30. Parking is available behind the church. Enter the church or ring doorbell at the glass doors on Oak Street. For more information contact Dr. Terry Clark, Chair, 633-0892 or Dr. Lew Patrie, 285-2599.

08/19/18 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE EVENT

Sunday, August 19th at 2 PM “Wilma Dykeman: The Mountain South's Great Humanist of the 20th Century” by Jim Stokely. Wilma Dykeman was a best-selling novelist, teacher, and pioneer in environmental thinking, civil rights, and feminism. As a humanist, Wilma was a deep thinker who was less interested in our place in some great chain of being, but more interested in our current task: Now that we're here, what should we do? The talk will begin with a 20-minute video of Wilma Dykeman’s life, followed by her perspective on becoming the best we can be as individuals and as a society through her writings, lectures and personal story as told by her son Jim Stokely. Jim is President of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy and lectures and produces events to sustain and foster the core values of Wilma Dykeman. Time is 2:00 PM. Location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. Contact the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville at EHSAsheville@gmail.com for more information.

08/20/18 DEMOCRACY ASHEVILLE COALITION MEETING

Please join us for the next Democracy Asheville Coalition Meeting on Monday, August 20. Wondering what you can do now to get folks ready to vote in November? We can help. Join us for our upcoming Democracy Asheville Coalition meeting to learn ways you can plug in to phone banks, voter registration drives, and more! We'll also update you on how we're fighting to defeat the anti-voter proposed constitutional amendments. This meeting is on Monday, August 20, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Location is Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville. Please RSVP to let us know you're coming. Contact Darlene Azarmi at 828-216-3430 or darlene@democracync.org with questions, including how to register. What is the Democracy Asheville Coalition? Our Local Coalition brings together organizational representatives and individuals who agree to work together to change and use the political system so it equips people to take action, promotes grassroots leadership, and serves "the good of the whole." We want an elections process that is accessible, fair, and secure. And we want a government "of, by, and for the people," that fosters equity, solidarity, and justice.

08/21/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/21/18 NATIONWIDE PRISON STRIKE

Asheville Prison Books has endorsed the national prison strike and will be hosting a meeting to share updates on the strike and prepare for anti-repression work. After seven people were killed in a South Carolina prison earlier this year, Jailhouse Laywers Speak (a national collective of incarcerated people who fight for human rights by providing other incarcerated people with access to legal education, resources, and assistance) put out a press release calling for a two-week national strike beginning on August 21st, the anniversary of George Jackson's assassination, and extending until September 9th, the anniversary of the Attica Prison Rebellion in 1971. Meeting at Firestorm Books at 5 PM. Contact Firestorm for more information.

08/23/18 PEACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

08/26/18 WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY

Congressional Joint Resolution of 1971 declared August 26 of every year Women's Equality Day commemorating not only the passage for the 19th Amendment, but the continuing effort towards full equality.

08/28/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

08/30/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Membership meeting is on August 30, 2018 from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Location is North Asheville Library at 1030 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Training in voter registration will be available for interested members at 5:30pm. The membership meeting will begin at 6:00pm and end at 7:00. Membership Committee plans for the meeting are to: Provide information about the narrowed focus of the US League for this year as well as other information about national and state; Provide a short report of our League's activities and upcoming events; and Highlight one active Action Team. For more information, contact communications.lwvab@gmail.com.

09/04/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

09/06/18 FALL CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY STARTS

They are accepting applications as of July 2018. Those who want more insight into local enforcement may apply for the fall semester of the APD’s Citizens Police Academy, a free 12 week course that provides classroom instruction, presentations and demonstrations of topics such as criminal investigations, constitutional and criminal law, use of force, departmental structure and defensive tactics. Classes meet weekly beginning September 6 at 5:30 PM at the Municipal Building at 100 Court Plaza in Asheville. Dinner will be provided. Call Officer Ryan Justus at 828-259-5834 or email rjustus@ashevillenc.gov for more information.

09/06/18 SIERRA CLUB MEETING

Sierra Club Sept. 6: Protecting Our Environment – Who We Elect Matters. On September 6, Ken Brame, NC Sierra Club Political Chair, will talk about why we need to elect good environmental state legislators, why this fall’s election will be a “wave election” that will strongly favor Democrats, and what each of us can do to take advantage of the “wave” to elect an environmental majority to the NC State House and the Buncombe County Commission. A “wave election” is one in which one political party significantly out performs expectations allowing that party to win seats that ordinarily would not be likely. Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. This event is free and open to the public. Brame also serves as a member of the NC Chapter Executive Committee, and past chair and member of the National Sierra Club Political Committee. He also chairs the local WNC Sierra Club Political Committee. When not working to elect good environmental elected officials, he has lobbied local elected leaders to pass good environmental legislation. He enjoys travel and hiking. For more information, contact Judy Mattox, judymattox@sbcglobal.net, (828) 683-2176.

09/08/18 SIERRA CLUB RIVER CLEAN UP

River Clean Up -- Saturday, Sept 8 at 1pm. Sign up with Richard Kark, karkra@uwec.edu, 828-253-3650, both for canoes & kayaks, but also land/shore crew

09/11/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

09/16/18 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE EVENT

Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville will hold event on Sunday, September 16th, 2 PM “Home is the Key” by Andy Barnett. Andy Barnett will discuss housing challenges facing our community. Where we live has an impact on our quality of life, health, wealth and access to opportunity. Asheville faces many housing issues including growth pressures, displacement of traditional residents, the housing needs of an aging population and the environmental challenges of poor quality housing stock. There are no easy answers, but we can envision several initiatives and learn from examples both here and in other communities. Andy Barnett is the Executive Director of Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and is a leader in the field of housing issues and solutions. Time is 2:00 PM. Location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. Contact the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville at EHSAsheville@gmail.com for more information.

09/18/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON

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ONGOING EVENTS

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MONDAY

Asheville SURJ weekly meeting at 6:30 pm at UU Congregation in Asheville, downstairs - suspended for summer 2018

Citizens’ Climate Lobby meeting on the third Monday at 6:30 at Habitat Tavern & Commons.

TUESDAY

Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument

Rally at historic Courthouse in Hendersonville at 5 PM on the first Tuesday of the month. Organized by the Progressive Organized Women.

WEDNESDAY

Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Green Drinks meets at 6 PM at The Block Off Biltmore on the second Wednesday of the month.

Indivisible Asheville does political letter writing at 5:30 to 7 PM on the first and third Wednesdays at The Block Off Biltmore.

THURSDAY

Welcome Home Tour by Homeward Bound on the third Thursday of the month at 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information.

Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville.

Sierra Club meets at 7 PM at Unitarian Universalist in Asheville on the first Thursday of the month.

FRIDAY

Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville.

Progressive Women of Hendersonville hold a letter/postcard writing to government representatives from 4 to 7 PM at Sanctuary Brewing Company at 147 First Avenue in Hendersonville.

SATURDAY

French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.

Mountain True holds urban forest workdays on the second Saturday of the month at Richmond Hill Park from 9 AM to 1 PM. Call 258-8737 for more information.

Food Not Bombs serves free vegan/vegetarian food Saturday at noon at Pritchard Park.

Dances of Universal Peace on the third Saturdays at 7:30 at 1 School Road in Asheville.

SUNDAY

Asheville National Organization for Women meeting at 2:30 PM at YWCA of Asheville on second Sunday of the month.

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ACTIONS AND READINGS

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From Mountain Express:

Yes, we are absolutely interested in incorporating all qualifying events that are normally listed in Dancewater into our monthly calendar!

In general, we need submissions sent to calendar@mountainx.com or submitted online at www.mountainx.com/calendar approximately 2-weeks in advance (or more specifically, by 5 pm on the Wednesday before publication). We edit all listings according to our editorial style guidelines and minimalistic word count.

Please, feel free to reach out with any questions that you might have! As you likely know, our calendar is dedicated to nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations, so many of the events listed in Dancewater could have a home in our calendar.

Thank you for your service to the community, and I look forward to seeing how this develops!

Warm wishes,

Abigail Griffin

Community Calendar Editor

Mountain Xpress

2 Wall Street

Asheville, NC 28801

828-251-1333 x 137

828-713-7072 (cell)

Please submit your events to Mountain Express so other folks will know what is going on. Contact Abigail if you have questions about what information to include, or format to use. - Dancewater

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A PLEA TO PROGRESSIVES: REJECT RUSSIA HYSTERIA AND PRIORITIZE SOCIAL JUSTICE

By Ben Spielberg, 34justice.com

July 28, 2018

For well over a year-and-a-half now, prominent Democratic politicians and media figures have alleged that, in an unprecedented attack on democracy, “Russia hacked the election” in 2016 to install Vladimir Putin’s “puppet,” Donald Trump, into office. Those pushing this narrative call Trump a “traitor” and accuse him of committing “treason” against the American people.

I have raised objections to the way many Democrats are talking about Russia for two main reasons:

1. Skepticism of our intelligence agencies’ claims is warranted, as history has shown. From overthrowing the democratically elected Allende government in Chile and lying about it to secretly selling weapons to Iran in the 1980s and lying about it to falsely declaring that Iraq had provided al Qaeda with weapons of mass destruction, the CIA’s history doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in their credibility. The FBI similarly helped to lead us into Iraq under false pretenses (see this video from 15 years ago of none other than lead Russia investigator Robert Mueller) and has a long history of targeting anti-war and civil rights activists with dishonest smears. And as exposed by Edward Snowden during the Obama Presidency, the NSA has lied repeatedly to Americans about their warrantless spying programs. In each of these and many other instances, our intelligence agencies’ falsehoods have served deeply illiberal goals. Nobody should take their word as gospel, and everyone should be skeptical of what our intelligence agencies’ public pronouncements might be designed to accomplish. Consider the following:

a. Hysteria about Russia could lead to war – or worse. As noted above, inaccurate fearmongering helped lead us into the Iraq War in the early 2000s. The more prominent media and political figures say that “we’re in a 9/11 national emergency” and declare Russia to have “launched a war” against us, the more at risk we are of becoming engaged in an actual war with Russia, a country with a serious stockpile of nuclear weapons. In fact, a former US general and a foreign policy consultant seemed to suggest that military action against Russia might be appropriate in a recent article in Politico, writing: “This is our Pearl Harbor, our 9/11. In the past, we have risen to the defense of our values, our ideologies and our institutions. It’s time for another fight.”

One wouldn’t know it from the media narrative about Trump and Russia, but Trump has already taken a harder line against Russia than Barack Obama did when in office – he has imposed harsh sanctions, bombed a Syrian airfield, pulled out of the Iran deal (which Putin supported), sent lethal weapons to Ukraine, and increased funding for anti-Russian efforts in Europe. Democrats pushing Trump to take more aggressive action would do well to consider why Obama didn’t (and to watch this video of Obama mocking Mitt Romney six years ago for making the same type of claims many Democrats are making today).

b. Unfounded accusations of treason are used to silence dissent. Less than fifteen years ago, the Center for American Progress documented the Bush Administration’s attacks on the patriotism of anyone who opposed their narrative about 9/11 and Iraq and, more broadly, their foreign policy. Beyond Iraq, “the tactic of undermining political opponents by making unsubstantiated attacks on their loyalty to the United States” has a name – McCarthyism – and has a long history of being used to persecute social justice advocates.

While it’s true that the allegations of treason today are centered heavily on staunch opponents of social justice – Trump and various Republicans – Establishment Democrats have unsurprisingly also targeted Jill Stein, Glenn Greenwald, and anyone else who has dared to criticize their behavior – we are at best “fucking clueless…idiot[s]” and at worst “agent[s] of Trump and Moscow” (that we are staunch critics of both Trump and Putin doesn’t seem to matter). It is not hard to imagine the current McCarthyite climate persisting after Trump is ousted from office and used primarily once more, as it has been throughout American history, to attack proponents of a more just society.

I’m not an expert on cybersecurity and do not know the entire basis for our intelligence agencies’ claims – nobody outside of those agencies does! What we do know, however, is that the first report they released that purported to show evidence of Russian interference in 2016 contained more anti-social-justice propaganda than evidence. We also know that many widespread claims related to alleged Russian interference over the last two years – Wikileaks doctored Clinton campaign emails, Russia hacked the Vermont power grid, certain American blogs are tools of Russian propaganda, Russia tried to break into and compromise voter systems in various states, Russia interfered in the French election – have turned out to be false.

Mueller’s July 13 indictment is detailed and he may present convincing proof that the Russian government hacked various Democrats’ email accounts (there are also reasonable people who seem to believe the evidence is already convincing on that point). But given our intelligence agencies’ sordid history, we should be careful not to place our trust in them.

2. We should be focusing our time and energy on effective responses to Trump, Republicans in Congress, and the homegrown problems of systemic classism, racism, sexism, and other forms of bigotry that long predate 2016. The only standing concrete charges against the Russian government are that they hacked Democratic emails and poured a very small amount of money into an unsophisticated, inconsequential social media advertising campaign. These activities were neither the primary reason for Trump’s victory nor particularly surprising – the United States government “meddles” in many other foreign countries’ elections much more significantly than Russia is alleged to have done here – and, as polling shows, Americans rightfully care more about issues that will directly impact their lives than about the “situation with Russia.”

To be fair, Establishment Democrats who consider themselves part of the #Resistance have generally been highly critical of Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, cut taxes, and enforce draconian immigration policy. But the amount of time spent on these issues – not to mention advancing a proactive agenda for single-payer health care, a $15 minimum wage, a radical restructuring of our criminal justice system, and more – has paled in comparison to the amount of time spent on speculation about Trump and Russia. In one analysis of a six-week period in 2017, for example, popular MSNBC host Rachel Maddow was found to have spent more time talking about Russia than about every other issue combined. As another illustrative example, CNN Contributor Joan Walsh seemed unhappy with Bernie Sanders for tweeting about a long-scheduled “CEOs vs workers” town hall he was hosting on the day of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki; in Walsh’s mind, presumably, Sanders should have ignored income inequality that day and been exclusively focused on questioning Trump’s patriotism. Every cover story hypothesizing that Trump has been a “Russian-intelligence asset” since 1987 draws attention away from important, reality-based domestic issues that could have had that cover space.

There’s a reason Establishment Democrats find the Russia-successfully-waged-an-unprecedented-attack-on-our-democracy-and-is-to-blame-for-all-our-problems narrative so appealing: it absolves them of responsibility both for losing the 2016 election and for failing to address the needs of millions of Americans who are suffering. They want the public to forget that they ran an undemocratic primary process in 2016 to select the less-electable, less-social-justice-oriented candidate as their nominee, that their model for Democratic politics has resulted in huge losses for the party throughout the entire country, and that Democrats have long condoned some of the policies they now profess to be outraged about. If Democratic elites can convince enough people that the current state of American politics is Putin’s fault rather than something their glaring failures have contributed to, they will have a much easier time staying in power.

None of that means that the Russian government wasn’t behind the phishing emails sent to John Podesta and the Democratic National Committee – they may well have been! It also remains true that Donald Trump lies all the time and has almost certainly done dozens of illegal things. Nobody should take statements from either him or Vladimir Putin at face value, and the Mueller investigation should absolutely proceed.

But Democrats also need to be more careful about how they approach the issue of Russia and the 2016 election. Failing to do so could have very serious consequences.

Article came from this website: https://popularresistance.org/a-plea-to-progressives-reject-russia-hysteria-and-prioritize-social-justice/

dancewater

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Upcoming events for the week of July 29, 2018

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