Street roots
Aug. 5, 2011
On North Williams, build a movement, not just infrastructure
f you ride a bike, you probably spend a
lot of time telling people about the value
of bicycling. You describe the benefits
for individuals and the community as a
whole. You explain that Portland is a
wonderful and safe place to ride a bike, but
it could be safer.
Chances are
you’ve got friends
and relatives who
STREETBEAT think you’re crazy
for riding a bike
Bicycle
to work, or who
Transportation
don’t understand
Alliance
____________________ why
transportation
dollars should go
to bike infrastructure. And chances are,
you’ve had a few people come around. I’ve
had a few friends and relatives go from
grumbling about Sunday Parkways a few
years ago to now saying, “Portland should
do more of those!”
In my experience, people aren’t
convinced by a single conversation. Most
people aren’t convinced by traffic counts,
crash statistics, street designations, or
carbon savings. We evolve in our view of the
world by sharing stories, getting to know
one another, finding common ground, and
discovering shared beliefs among other
people we trust. The statistics help support
conclusions we’re already inclined to draw.
Having observed the traffic conditions on
North Williams every afternoon as I hiked
I
healths ’
Healthy Streetbeat is a
monthly column for
Street Roots written by
the Bicycle
Transportation
Alliance (BTA). O ur
contributors are Rob
Sadowsky, executive
director, and Margaux
Mennesson,
communications
director.
home from work, it seemed like there
should be an easy solution to get people to
slow down, make it safer for people crossing
the street, and reduce bus/bike conflicts.
Those were some of the safety concerns
identified when the North Williams Traffic
Safety Operations Project kicked off in
April.
Over the course of several months, I have
realized that the best design solution is not
necessarily the right solution. I am grateful
to have the chance to learn an extraordinary
amount about race, history, and
gentrification on North Williams from
comihunity members who bring different
perspectives and experiences to the
conversation.
My colleague Susan Peithman, who
represents the BTA on the Stakeholder
Advisory Committee, has shared with me of
the stories she’s heard from residents,
church leaders, business owners, families,
and people who travel on North Williams.
Collectively, we are beginning to rethink
our definition of success.
The BTA cannot speak to the priorities of
every person who rides a bike. But as the
leading .bicycle advocacy and education
group in the region and the state, our goal
is to lay out an inspiring vision for bicycling
that everyone can get behind.
Our vision for bicycling has always been
part of a much larger vision for a healthy
and just community. Our work to make
bicycling safe and accessible is connected on
many levels with the efforts of countless
other individuals and organizations who are
working to transform communities.
So what if we see this as an opportunity
to build a stronger, more inclusive
movement, and not simply an opportunity to
build infrastructure?
We might be successful,
Dr. Tim Keller, the Senior Pastor of
Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in
Manhattan describes a successful movement
as one that is marked by “an attractive,
clear, unifying vision for die future together
with a strong set of values or beliefs.”
And “in a successful movement, the
accomplishment of the vision is more
important than power and position. So
people are willing to make allies, be flexible
and cooperate with anyone sharing the basic
vision and values.”
As we listen, as we hear stories, the line
between those who support and those who
oppose has started to blur. We don’t have to
decide whether the issue is about either
traffic safety or social justice. It’s not just
about the destination, but also about being
open to an alternate path forward.
Bikes are economic engines and tools of
empowerment. Bicycling is an affordable,
healthy mode of transportation. Bikes
connect people to jobs, to physical activity,
and to other people.
But bikes themselves simply are not that
powerful. The power is in the movement
Veterans converge in Portland for their national convention
_
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R V M C - K V IM E R IIIU C
These ex-soldiers knowm ore
th a n a n yon e th at b e in g
against the war does not
mean being against the
soldier. Rather their strong
desire to bear witness stems
from a deep sense of m oral
conviction. In their minds,
their peace work is a life
saving mission.
A N O M IK E H A STIE
C O N T R IB U T IN G C O L U M N IS T S
.
t is well known that many men and
women who have served in the military,
whether they served in WWII, Korea or
Vietnam, or more recently Iraq and
Afghanistan (many of the latter having
served midtiple tours), return home
emotionally battered and beaten. Many
struggle with drug and alcohol abuse,
unemployment, homelessness, depression
or other mental
issues. Others suffer
Becky L uening in an
serious physical
Associate Member o f
injuries like Traumatic
Veterans For Peace
Brain Injury (TBI),
Chapter 72, Portland, loss of limbs and
Oregon a nd board
■. severe burns. A
member o f Vietnam
beleaguered and
Friendship Village
overtaxed VA system
Project USA.
is hard-pressed to
M ike Hastie is a
meet all the demands
photographer and a
for care for their
member o f Veterans'
returning soldiers.
For Peace who served
Some veterans find
as a Medic in the US
themselves caught up
Arm y (Vietnam in
mi the criminal justice
1970-71).
system. Too often,
disturbed and
drugged, veterans and
active duty soldiers find peace by
committing suicide. Post-traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) has become a household
word* among those who know combat
veterans.
What isn’t talked about is the hidden
trauma veterans experience from having
served their country for dubious reasons
and not being able to talk about it
Throughout their service soldiers are
strongly programmed to obey, not to
criticize or question. In many cases the
soldier’s experience on the battlefield is in
direct conflict with the public perception of
war, yet it is extremely difficult for veterans
I
P H O T O B Y M IK E H A S T IE ( A R M Y M E D IC V IE T N A M )
Domingo Rossa, member o f Iraq Veterans Against the War, testifying at Winter Soldier
Hearing, Silver Spring, Maryland, March 2008.
to air feelings of betrayal or contrary
political views that have developed -from
their raw military experience. This lack of
permission to tell their stories or to ask
discomforting questions in public, especially
when their ideas conflict with existing
norms of society, is extremely invalidating.
This phenomenon may be the explanation
for the strong sense of camaraderie veterans
find in groups such as Vétérans For Peace
(founded in 1985) and Iraq Veterans Against
the War (an organization of both Iraq and
Afghanistan vets who have served post
9/11), where they find not only the
permission to voice their dissention but
support for taking positive action to
challenge the madness of war and
militarism. These ex-soldiers know more
than anyone that being against the war does
not mean being against the soldier. Rather
their strong desire to bear witness stems
from a deep sense of moral conviction. In
their minds, their peace work is a life-saving
mission.
This coming weekend (Aug. 3-7,
hundreds of veteran members of VFP and
IVAW, along with associate members and
military family members, converge in
Portland to attend the concurrent national
conventions Of the two organizations. The
weekend is jam-packed with plenary
speakers, panels, workshops and films on a
large variety oftopics under the general
theme of “Resilience, Resistance and
Nonviolent Revolution.”
| One of the strong threads of the
convention is PTSD, with author David
Philipps and Professor Bud Brown
presenting on veterans in the criminal
justice system; Djr. Edward Tick presenting
on transformational healing for combat vets;
Marine Corps veteran Jessica Goodell,
author of Shade It Black, presenting on the
emotional aftermath of serving in a military
mortuary in Iraq; and Oregon filmmakers
Kim Shelton and Bill McMillan screening of
their film, “The Welcome,” a documentary
about veterans trying to find their way home
at a healing retreat.
Another thread confronts nuclear war,
with the film “The Forgotten Bomb” being
screened by Director Bud Ryan; a workshop
on “VFP’s Role in Nuclear Disarmanent
Education” being presented by Bill
Wickersham; and the veterans’ participation
in the Portland community commemoration,
“How Can We Create a Nuclear-Free World?
Not Another Hiroshima, Nagasaki or
Fukushima,” taking place from 1 to 4 p.m. at
the Japanese-American Historical Plaza
(moreinfoatoregonpsr.org).
A listing ofVFP convention events open
to the public can be found at
vfpnationalconvention.org under the “public
events” tab. These include a special art
show, “The Tenacity of Hope” on exhibit at
the Liftman and White Galleries at PSU’s
Smith Memorial Student Union, and a list of
free films playing during the four days of the
convention.