Death was something I became accustomed to during my 13 years as a private investigator. That is not to say that I wasn’t moved by individual cases or even the cumulative effect of observing how our species manages to reduce our numbers. In time, a certain professional distance builds up. You may feel bad about a case in which children or other innocents die, but you move on by focusing on the work that must be done.
In some ways, activists experience the same thing. Death may or may not be up close and personal. More likely, it is distant and in numbers difficult to grasp. But it is still there. To keep perspective while the world around us appears to go mad means, again, building up a distance.
The trouble is, distance, like old wax, can build up layer by layer, leaving us unable to feel anything even when death strikes closer to home. That is why is it important that when a member of our movement passes, we take time out not only to honor them but to reconnect to our community.
Steven Lindenmeyer and I were not friends. Our connection was largely through Ruth Kovacs — Steven’s mother and a member of my board. We disagreed about many things. But I do know that Steven was committed to the cause of justice. He worked hard and long within the leadership of Jobs with Justice. He was also a member of the KBOO 90.7 FM board of directors. Steven also carried an IWW union card and was active with the Wobblies as well. What extra time he had was spent helping organize the mass rallies for peace.
On Aug. 22 Steven was camping in the Columbia Gorge. He was taking a walk along the railroad tracks when he was fatally struck by a train. He was 53 years old.
Steven wasn’t my friend but I want to thank him for all the work he accomplished in his life. I want others to know that regardless of how grim things appear, we can and must carry on in any way we can. That was a message that Steven’s work communicated. By honoring it we not only honor Steven, we remind ourselves of our own humanity and the importance of keeping those connections with our community.
On a brighter note, we are finally getting around to celebrating our 25th annivesary as a newspaper. The Portland Alliance entered the scene in 1981 as a response to the attacks of the Reagan administration at home and abroad. For the past quarter century we have been taking on the corporate power structure and the minions who serve it. We may look a bit battered and torn, but we’re still here while many of our opponents are not.
Which is why we thought it was time to celebrate. As the advertisement on Page Six notes, we are planning a fun-filled evening that includes a silent auction, live music, a corporate media roast, food and beverages and lots of Alliance memories. In the next week or so we’ll have confirmed time and location. We hope anyone who has been involved with the newspaper or just enjoys reading it will turn out for this event.
One more thing — we’ll are looking for Alliance memorabilia for display at the dinner as well as items suitable for the silent auction. Anyone with anything fitting either of those categories should contact me at 503-239-4991. The former will be returned. The latter qualifies for a tax-deduction.
On a related note, we are moving our Fall phonebanking up to September. We are doing this in part so we can contact folks about this anniversary dinner and obtain an early head count on attendance. We also need to raise money to get us through our final quarter. While we don’t like it, conditions leave us little choice. Foundation money is getting harder to find. Two foundations which routinely fund us have turned down our proposals this year. Advertising is improving but not at an adequate rate. Our benefits have been a mixed bag. So, we must turn to you, are loyal core of supporters to help us again.
Part of what you get when you support us is a terrific newspaper (if I say so myself). You also get an increasing number of interesting events. In August we brought reporter/documentarian Robert Richter to town. In October we are planning on bringing Nomi Prins to Portland to talk about her latest book about how the corporations are ripping us off — hard economic data presented in a very amusing way. Later in that month we are planning on a speaking enagement with Steven Hill to talk about what is wrong with our democracy and how to fix it. Early November is our anniversary party and I’m sure we’ll have a few surprises for you before the year ends.
With your help, we’ll make the next 25 years even more fun.
—Dave Mazza
