‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Breaking News: Nokba, 1948
Raise Your Voice: November 2023 By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Al Nokba (the disaster) was the beginning of the settler invasion which drove Palestinians from the long established gardens which sustained their spirit. Hey, it was not so long ago that I conversed with a young Palestinian at the Cedar Food & Grill (the corner grocery which serves Little Earth). Bulldozers had flattened his family’s lemon groves… all in the name of Hitler’s ghost. Hence, the Gaza Concentration Camp has confined over two million people. Breaking News: October 7, 2023…It was closing time when I descended the stairs to the space called Mayday Books. (Note: this West Bank address has always been within the territory of the alley news.) Craig and Patrick immediately brought me up to speed. What was Hamas thinking? Yet another disaster was sure to unfold.Indeed, the biblical dilemma between “do unto others…” and an “eye for an eye” was manifesting, even as Israeli bombs [...]
Raise Your Voice: Oct ’23
Break on Through By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar After a tearful goodbye in mid-August, my companion and I returned from the snow-capped peaks of central Oregon, a place where a mere 2,700 years ago, molten lava had inundated the valley. Sadly now, my younger sister suffers a terminal cancer, likely the result of prolonged use of chemicals in the cleaning of rustic second homes owned by the rich. Yes, we all struggle to make ends meet.Hey, after 25 years of my having resided in one place, a 3rd landlord within three years demanded that I empty my basement storage locker, after which he would raise my rent by $150. Note: under the previous lease that voluminous space was filled to the brim with books from the long gone Paul Robeson Marxist Bookstore, and no, I did not relish being temporarily enslaved. Moreover, over a projected 20 years, I was to become bankrupt! So, I gave notice.So then, immediately upon my return from Oregon, I was the subject of an interview with the [...]
Raise Your Voice: September ’23
By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Yes, the City’s plan to concentrate diesel fumes in our neighborhood has been stopped, and the focus has shifted to the implementation of the Urban Farm business plan. To this end, I have engaged Mayor Frey regarding the Urban Farm to school market connection, and he was receptive.Meanwhile, activists have contacted me for insider information about Smith Foundry’s contribution to our diminished air quality.Note: At Smith Foundry, iron is cast in molds made of sand, the sand is composed of grains of quartz, quartz is crystalline silica (silicon dioxide) and fine silica particles make dust in the air we breathe. When concentrated, silica dust will, over the course of time, accumulate in the lungs. Having worked inside the bowels of Smith Foundry for 35 years, I should know. Hey, the community has a right to know. Hennepin County Commissioners get a message. Source: Peter Molenaar Smith Foundry, 1855 E 28th Street…Once upon a time, there [...]
