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Tadpoles with face masks on:
Clouds of dead tadpoles appear to have fallen from the sky in a series of episodes in a number of cities in the region since the start of the month.
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May, 20, 2009
Hello All -
It`s morning here and at 9am we will be having a press conference with the two local newspapers in Okinawa. Then we fly back to Osaka city and quarantine conditions.
Yesterday went quite well, I thought. KenJi and I took an early morning flight, kicked around the marketplace, had a long talk over American coffee waiting for Mr. Salih, his translator Seika-san and Yoshi from ZENKO, the peace group here, to rent a car and arrive. They were a bit delayed, but it gave KenJi and I time to learn how to listen and talk to each other.
We all met up and drove to the Okinawa International University. We met our host, Professor Nobu, his student assistant Ishawa. She is also the chairperson for the Nokahoma, or community based union. They are currently attempting to get debt relief for college loans from the Education Ministry. We address Nobu`s peace studies class of 12-15 young students, also the local TV camera crew and two reporters were present. We started out with Iraq PeaceTV`s production of the situation of some Iraqi people living, surviving, in a garbage dump within site of the Green Zone compound in Baghdad. It was gut wrenching to watch and should be a piece on LB very soon. Next was Chicago Occupied, which was lame by comparison, but very important to be seen when discussion started. Mr. Salih, through Seika, had 15minutes and decried the occupation, what it was doing to his people and stating the past two production chiefs of Sana TV have been assassinated, one his uncle. Now the US military has destroyed his editing computers and other equipment, he has one camera to get the truth concerning current conditions in Baghdad.
It was a tough act to follow, I felt mortified. I spoke about the militarization of American society, my recent graduation ceremony experience at Marquette and the poverty draft. The students had seen in an earlier class JapanPeaceTV`s production of the Erbil conference, so that allowed me to talk about Aaron and IVAW and their situation within the peace movement in the US. I expressed my rage, representing millions of peace loving Americans and for Mr Salih`s behalf, at the military war machine and explaining our inability to stop the atrocities. 15 minutes went by too quickly, I could have kept rolling for 30 more.
A couple of questions followed, and the students were most respectful.
We then went on the roof of the building overlooking a US air base installation butted against University property. It seems quite a dangerous situation, as one helicopter has already crashed on the grounds in 2005. Ishawa explained the problem with noise and pollution it creates. We were interviewed by the TV crew, also.
Next, we drove to another lookout site to look at another US airbase, this one much larger with F15`s taking off and landing. This is the Air and War show 24/7. Ishawa informed us that heightened activity occurred two weeks before the invasion of Iraq and we should monitor such concerning Iran, or any other future action.
We all we then taken to Professor Nobu`s project of a monument dedicated to the 10-20,000 forced Korean laborers killed on Okinawa during WW2. It is a beautiful bronze relief and it`s mirror image is directly across the sea on the Korean peninsula. It shows the strength of the Korean laborer, the anguish of his mother and shame of Japanese military.
Later, we went to traditional dinner, all on our fine host Professor Nobu. He was quite animated and the time was festive. Mr Salih and I through the English/Japanese/Arabic/Japanese/English method did get to know each other a bit more.(He has 8 daughters and three sons!) He did state that he recognizes the difference between the American people and its government and that was a relief for me. I promised to do all I can to get him more cameras and equipment for his important reports from Iraq and maybe I could expect some help in this from my LB-istas? The good professor gave us a lot of Okinawan history and the parallels to Shock and Awe and the Iraq occupation were amazing. They called it the Iron Storm, a three month barrage of artillery, culminating in 60 years of occupation. He presented us with a book with the perspective of the Okinawans, using photos of US Army obtained through FOI Act. I was touched by the gesture and, of course, got a picture.
Dinner was fine time and my hosts were gracious beyond belief. Many connections were made and friendship was celebrated. We will be moving on today and my short stay in Okinawa has strong memories.
I`ll try to write from Osaka city tomorrow, maybe through blue gloves.
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