Ramona Forum has been busy in a sustainable way with current and continuing issues, upholding our principles, without being pretentious, but being part of the community — Ramona Fair, Ramona Rodeo Parade, Medicare and Social Security, voice against Foreclosure Policies, participating in Gay Pride Parade, Peace Garden and second Wednesday Special Event nights, and writing in public forums for public awareness .

Forum members have been  active in writing Guest Commentaries and Letters to the Editor, especially in Ramona Sentinel and in Ramona Patch, on various issues.  If you missed reading them, some of the essays are available under Postings: Members’ essays.

The latest is our booth on the opening day at the Ramona Fair on August 28.  The Budget-Pig was first displayed in Ramona

Here is the pig and its creator, Sam!

Rodeo Parade.  It was recognized by many on lookers at the Fair,  Others took a great interest.  It could become the most photographed object at the Fair!

In order to build public awareness towards the impending danger of Americans losing their safety net in Social Security and Medicare benefits, Ramona Forum members have been demonstrating at 10th and Main on Sundays at 12 noon to 1 PM for the last two months and will continue to do so until both chambers of the Congress stop some of their members’ ill-conceived moves.  The Americans pay for Social Security and Medicare benefits.  It is not a charity.  Congress should leave the Trust fund alone, and not tamper with the funds.  Rather they should consider stop paying these benefits to wealthy Americans, who do not need the benefits — the so-called “means testing” formula.

On May 21, Ramona Forum participated in Ramona Rodeo Parade with our almost legendary (!) Budget-Pig—or, is it Pig-Budget!—that is now displayed in front of our booth at the Fair.

It was of interest to many, with applause too.Special thanks to Sam Hasz, the tractor driver, for his creativity, artistic talent and hard work.  Also to Rene and Alice Buelna for working to finalize the float, and Tetsuo Matsui for having our back!  Although they could not ride, dutta and his granddaughter, Erika (and their dog!) were there for a big send off!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F99-UUSYdE

For a great report click to this link too. ( http://ramona.patch.com/articles/ramona-parade-was-awesome-photo-gallery?upload_started=1306036384#video-6186818)

Since our last report (please see the report below), Ramona Forum members continued demonstrating in front of Bank of America and Chase against their Foreclosure Policies.  It resonated with many Ramonans, including those that were directly  affected by foreclosures initiated by these two institutions.

Two Forum members, Dave and Tetsuo, participated in this years Gay Pride Parade in July.  What Dave wrote afterwards is a matter of pride for all of us: Last weekend I marched in the San Diego Pride Parade with my colleagues in Veterans For Peace (VFP).  Marching in the Pride parade is an exhilarating experience because we were surrounded by over 50,000 very joyous people.  At the end of the parade VFP setup a booth and nearby were a group of Christians with signs and a bullhorn declaring the 50,000 people participating as sinners set for damnation.  The Christians were peddling fear, anger and hatred.  In contrast, and what was catching my eye over and over were same sex couples walking hand in hand almost exclusively with faces brim with joyousness.  Every time I would see a happy couple I would look back and see the Christians peddling anger.  When I saw a couple obviously in love, I would look back at the Christians and see hate.  When I saw the couples smile easily at others and themselves, I would look at the Christians and see fear.  Love vs. hate, happiness vs. anger, acceptance vs. fear, what a contrast being relived over and over all day long.  In the end, the Christians gave up and left one by one, like the vipers rolling off the Ark, to sew their hateful version of Christianity somewhere else.  I was relived to see them go, and reveled more in the love and happiness that was everywhere.  If you get a chance to go to the Pride event next year, don’t miss it because you’ll come home a happier person.  That is if you stay away from those mean people that call themselves Christians.

Dave Patterson
Ramona, Ca

Peace Garden also went through an overhauling — better protection from animals eating all our vegetables, box-planting instead of ground planting with the enclosure and increase in varieties, complete with Nancy’s accents with flowers!  As always, Dave, our fearless leader was in the lead.  The plantings outside the enclosure did not fare well.  We experienced shortage of members, who were able to work in the garden — two of our gardening enthusiasts’ work hours have changed; two are going through cancer treatment; couple of others are nursing health problems;  and some are busy with illness of family members or other family commitments and chores.  It was not lack of enthusiasm rather the unavoidable circumstances of this year.  Please contact us, if you would like to be involved with the Peace Garden.  By the way, we are not totally successful to stop the animals to eat our vegetables!  (Editor’s comment:  I was not really hopeful!)

Our monthly (almost regularly!) Peace Garden gatherings are well attended.  It is lot of fun — good friends, good food topped by Armida’s classic espresso coffee from authentic Italian espresso maker, good conversation, camaraderie, and some work in the garden too!

We are still meeting on first and second Wednesdays of the month at the Library at 6 PM.  As most of the readers know that Second Wednesday is our Special Event Night — March 9 we had a presentation by Prof. George Mantor on Foreclosure Crisis to a well attended gathering; April13 we showed the documentary “Inside Job”, an eye-opening look at our economy;May 11 two representatives from Veterans for Peace narrated their experience of a VFP sponsored Gaza Trip; June 8 we showed the documentary “The End of Poverty” that explored the cause of the problem with interviews from social thinkers, including Nobel-laureates and probable remedies; and July 12 we showed the film “A Day Without A Mexican“.

George Mentor speaking.

A section of the attendees

Join us on Second Wednesdays of month at the Library.  Send your name and address to be included in our e-mail list.