Pauline Morrissette's 1999 Seattle WTO LETS Report
Friday November 26th to Friday December 3rd, 1999
Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
This would be our last opportunity before the Millennium to
single handedly bring attention to L.E.T.S. and the power it would
give us if we could link globally. With the internet this could be
done almost overnight. So, now to the WTO, the World Trade
Organization. The world is looking on Seattle where the world's
richest man, Bill Gates who accumulated his wealth with Microsoft,
just so happens to live?
Are we being guided? This is a big gamble and the hundreds of
thousands of L.E.T.Sers out there, who we wish could be here to back
us up on this one, all we ask is that you pray for us and perhaps send
off an urgent message to Bill Gates via his e-mail at
askbill@microsoft.com. Tell Mr. Gates we want interest free banking
for all L.E.T.Sers world wide. For those who have already taken the
initiative to do just that, we say thank you and God Bless. There are
many radical groups here this week in Seattle, but, I am sure we must
look the most radical. More of what we are doing and what has happened
so far at the Battle in Seattle.
I departed Ottawa at 5 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 25th. I drove with my
mother and friend Robert Cutler to Toronto where I would board Via
Rails westbound train to Vancouver, then Via Trailhead Bus to Seattle.
The reason we choose this mode of transportation first of all it was
the most inexpensive way to get to Seattle. If you are ready to rough
it a little and go Coach it is a huge savings over flying or anything
else being offered. John went before me to set things up in Seattle
for our Headquarters as I had business to complete in Ottawa. My train
pulled out on time 11:00 a.m.
My first day and night on the train proved to be very, very
interesting and again I felt a certain peace of mind that things were
connecting and I was not alone on this journey out West. My first
contact, and I guess you can say now, my first new friend was Marlyne
Mellor of St. Pierre, Manitoba. She was our Conductor-Hostess. As she
explained to two gentlemen how to take the little hammer and knock out
the windows in the event of a mishap, I looked on. Most people did not
look amused, especially after two trains had already been derailed
this month on this very line. I said to her I thought they should have
backups. What if they fall asleep or worst yet, are not even in the
coach? Marlyne then put me in charge of my own hammer and my own
window. I felt much more secure knowing where everything was. Marlyne
and I had many wonderful exchanges during her stint from Toronto to
Manitoba where she was then replaced.
I was seated beside Lorraine c. Crouch of Columbia, Missouri.
Lorraine was also an activist and also destined for Seattle to report
to K.O.P.N. Community Radio in Columbia on movements at WTO. She was
stopping over in Vancouver to do a poetry reading. I was privy to her
doing a couple of her poems on the train and enjoyed them immensely.
The next group of people all came to me at different intervals of
the trip and this group were to be my faithful companions for the
duration. Each from different walks of life, yet all of like mind.
This was a most wonderful experience for me. Our common gathering spot
was the dome coach and throughout the trip, this is where we spent
much of our time together. As I had spent most of my day in travel and
had not eaten properly, I decided to visit their dining car and check
it out.
I was seated at the 9 p.m. session. Helen and Arch Jones asked if
they could join me, I was delighted to have their company. Retired
folks, but also very active, they were heading home to Prince George,
B.C. They were also travelling in the coach. We talked of the
beautiful scenery and I learned that Arch had at one time studied
painting with Tom Thompson, one of the Group of 7, a very famous group
of Canadian painters displayed in galleries all over. I told them of
my quest in Seattle, how we wanted to link Global LET Systems and how
they worked. After dinner we retired back to the coach and I gave
Helen and Arch one of John's books "The Adventures of John "The
Engineer" Turmel" to look over. I then went to the Dome car to take in
some sights.
In the Dome was a young man from New Zealand, John
McCullough,Thunder River Farm, P.O. Box 79, Murchison, South Island,
New Zealand. John and I struck up conversation. It wasn't hard as I
had been to New Zealand and had things I could talk about. John was in
Canada because he had been tree farming in New Zealand and had a
special type of timber that he wanted to sell. He came in hopes of
making a contact, plus he was thinking about moving to Canada but
wanted to see it all. So what better way than by train. He had already
been inspired by my next contact: Mady Irons c/o Falls Provincial
Park, General Delivery, Campbell River, B.C. V9W 4Z8 PH.286-9724. Mady
had a sleeper and was travelling first class but as she later told me,
it was a real sleeper in first class, people were bored. So she also
would congregate with us in the dome car. Mady does Tarot card
readings and has her business called Dragonfly Illusions, she does
Life Path Readings, Psychic Development Classes, Awareness Workshops
etc. Mady had come back to read John's cards, they were in the very
front seats with table and I was in the very back seat. Each time Mady
would gaze up, I couldn't help but smile. I sensed a very profound
connection between her and John then later found we three had a
connection going on. After the reading John introduced us. We had a
couple of small stops to let off passengers and would witness the
changing weather from place to place, snow then no snow. I am sure we
all spoke to many people at different intervals but we all seemed to
end up looking for each other and back to the dome. I slept in the
dome that night with several others, they slept on the floor, I slept
all 3 nights across two seats in the dome car quite comfortably.
The following morning Helen and Arch were looking for me. Helen
said she had stayed up most of the night going over John's book and
had many questions, would I join them so she could take some notes.
They were looking for some answers as to how this all could help their
son. Their son and a gentleman by the name of Michael Windsor, had
gone to school together with Bill Gates. Michael Windsor is still
working with Microsoft. Their son switched careers and moved to the
Yukon to do tree farming, something, he is still unfamiliar with and
needs help. He has over 40 acres and horses. When she told me this, I
don't know what hit me first, the fact that I had spent several hours
with a New Zealander who was an experienced tree farmer or the
connection to Bill Gates. I was taken aback.
But, I first took the direction that I thought would most excite
them and the one I could do something about right away. I told Helen
and Arch of John McCullough of New Zealand and ask if I could send him
back and could they talk to him? It was done. Then we spoke of my
quest to get to Bill Gates to ask the big question. Helen said she
still had contact with Michael Windsor and I was to let her know how
we made out. The whole time this exchange was going on, yet another
young man across the aisle listened on and I could see with much
interest. Tyler Rittinger of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was to become yet
another of my faithful companions for the duration. He seemed to be
with us in the dome car ever after that session. Tyler was supposed to
get off the train in Saskatoon, and we had all basically said our
goodbyes to him, but the following morning I was alerted that Tyler
hadn't left. He made a fast call to his girlfriend and said he was
going all the way with us. We were all delighted with this change of
plans.
We had many sessions of telling jokes and laughter prevailed
throughout most of this trip. The diner proved to be too expensive and
since my new friends all ate in the dome car, each stop we would jump
off and get fruit etc. and enjoy each others company. Jeff Page was
yet another of our group, Jeff from Knowlton, Quebec was a studious
quiet young man and yet he seemed to laugh the hardest and although he
said he couldn't remember jokes or tell them, he sure was having a
great time listening to ours. Jeff was just taking the trip to see the
West but I have a feeling he got more out of this trip than he had
bargained for. By the end of our journey you could tell we had made
solid friendships because just before the train reached Vancouver
Station, all were quiet, the first time in this whole trip. This
reflective time was letting us know that be it one day or one year,
when you bond as this group did, it is hard to say goodbye.
The scenery from province to province was very different. Our
main stops were Sudbury Jct. and Sioux Lookout in Ontario. Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Edmonton, Alberta, Jasper, Alberta
lots of snow, very beautiful, then through the rockies into Kamloops
B.C. then Vancouver.
When we arrived in Vancouver it was a matter of hours until the
last Grey Cup Football Game of the Millennium, Calgary Vs. Hamilton.
Tyler and Jeff were making plans. Mady was taking John to Falls
Provincial Park, her home, then John would meet up with Helen and
Arch. Oh yes that connection was made and John will go to the Yukon to
meet with their son. Wow. We exchanged addresses, had a photo shoot,
did out hugging and kissing and parted ways.
I then had to call my LETS contact, Brian Lutes. John had stayed
with Brian on the way out also for a couple of days. The decision was
made that I stay over in Vancouver that night to talk with some people
about LETS. Brian instructed me to take the Sky Train East to the very
end, a 30 min. ride to the Prince George Station. This is one of the
most modern rail systems I have ever been on and the bridge going over
the Fraser River is so high the view is spectacular. At the other end
I called Brian to tell him I had arrived. He came to collect me on his
souped-up bicycle. The bicycle had a small trailer attached in which
Brian put my luggage. He asked if I wanted to ride the bicycle home
since John had. I told him I was not as brave as John and since I was
unfamiliar with my route and traffic, I would simply follow behind. On
the way to Brian's home, he made a fast stop to show me Quibble Creek.
As I stood on a plank in the middle of this shallow creek, I saw 4 and
5 pound salmon, dead. Brian explained they came here from the Fraser
River to spawn and then die. He also told me that at night you could
here them thrashing about from his home.
At Brian's home the first thing was to direct me to my sleeping
quarters. I dropped my bags in and then he took me to his computer to
show me what he and John had accomplished during John's stay. The
prayer to Bill Gates was now on the net in audio. I was thrilled.
Brian is an electrical engineer very adept with computers and stepping
John through this and how to do it was a big help. I then went to have
a couple of hours sleep before my 4 p.m. meeting with some neighbours
and friends.
After that meeting we had to scurry off to yet another meeting
with Albert Javant and his lady friend Sheila. Albert was the founder
of the Canadian Fiji Senior Association and was looking for answers on
how to integrate the young and old. Albert is from India but moved to
Fiji as many Indian people had. He taught school there and was
responsible for the Cox Commission to give equal rights to all
teachers. 50% of the Indian people in Fiji get their revenue from
Sugar cane farming. Many got 30-year leases to farm sugar cane. These
leases are now expiring and the Fiji people are refusing to renew
them, forcing the Indian people out from their farms and their homes.
Albert tells me the best possible place they could go would be some
place like Australia where the weather is compatible and sugar cane
farming exist. But how to get them there is the problem.
Sheila explained she had been helping Albert cook all day in
preparation for his quests. We had a delightful meal, traditional
soup, taro a large root boiled, with sweet potatoes, fried bananas,
salad, main course consisted of beef with traditional pita bread. It
was wonderful. I then spoke to them about LETS how they could use it.
They saw the beauty and the social aspect of it. Albert's address is
111-7666 -119A Street, Delta, B.C. C4W 6N3 Phone 604 - 591-6226.
The following morning, another ride on the Sky Train to the
station, then onto the Trail Head Bus to Seattle with only 5
passengers aboard. We had a delightful driver who kept us amused all
the way. We cleared customs without a problem. John met me at the
Seattle station. They call Seattle the city of 7 hills like Rome.
These weren't hills, these were more like mountains all pouring into a
basin of water Lake Washington. Then it was straight to the A-1 Motel
to drop off luggage and I have a down day. Then it was to work
planning out our strategy with a schedule of events from the local
newspaper.
The following day was the big march. I have never been part of
anything this large before. All the downtown streets were clogged with
protesters. We had been passing out L.E.T.S. prayers to them all day
and decided to take a break for coffee. I went to get us a couple of
coffee's from a Starbucks. There were some benches and just in front
of me, a peaceful demonstration of some Chinese meditating. All of a
sudden a large thunder and smoke, it sounded like a bomb had gone off.
This peaceful demonstration was turning ugly. A young girl I had been
talking to on the bench, turned to me with a look of horror on her
face and said "what was that?" I said that whatever it was, I didn't
want to stick around and find out. People were running frantically
away from the smoke. The employees of Starbucks were shutting down the
place and running. I said to John "Lets get out of here." We made our
way out of the confusion and came upon a restaurant called the
Hurricane Cafe. A state of emergency had been called. As we ordered
food, we watched live coverage of what was going on a few streets
away. Looting, store windows being kicked in, the Mayor of Seattle who
called the state of emergency and placed the Seattle downtown under
martial law with a 7:00p.m. curfew. The buses were being rerouted and
it we eventually got out of the downtown. We went back to our Motel
and watched live coverage throughout the night of the turbulent scene
on Seattle streets.
The following day, security was pumped up because President
Clinton would be in town. The National Guard were called in and the
presence of militia and the hundreds of police officers in riot gear
were a little unnerving. Yet as John and I picketed, even the police
officers would give us a thumbs up with our "Abolish Interest Rates"
message. One officer even asked for our flyer. Throughout the week and
the different marches, many photos were taken. Some people told John
they had seen him on Channel 5 T.V. in Seattle doing his poem. Others
recognized us from Attac conference in France. One recognized John
from the Arizona Republic's "World's Richest Pauper" article. Three
reporters from Belgium were keen after we told them we had been in
Antwerp and Betekom this summer with this same message about L.E.T.S.
We met a Mr. Cornelius, Mac Harb's Campaign manager from Ottawa. We
told him both John and I had run against Mac in different elections.
Ralph Nader was in town. His session was sold out. But we did get to
see him speak at the waterfront market demonstration. I am sure John's
hard hat stuck in his mind. Many people asked if we were linked to
Jubilee 2000. Jubilee 2000 wants to cancel the debts of the poorest
nations. We want to cancel only the cancerous interest on debt for all
nations.
During my week in Seattle we were part of all major
demonstrations. I had made my sign prior to leaving Ottawa. I got a
large white sheet and I had stenciled on in 15" letters L.E.T.S. on
first line, a large stop sign in middle and the last line the word
POVERTY, with pictures of Bill Gates on either side of the stop sign.
John managed to hold one side plus his own sign Abolish Interst Rates,
we paraded with the rest of the protesters and had many photographs
taken and handed out a lot more literature. Many people interviewed
John and took his literature.
Prior to this last march John and I had taken the bus out to
Microsoft campus. We went over the Governor Rossilini bridge causeway
which was a spectacular ride and view of Seattle. Microsoft Campus was
pretty new looking and very Sci-Fi looking. We marched around there
for awhile and then took a bus back.
I pulled out of Seattle on Amtrak 4:45P.m. Went all along Lake
Washinton waterfront. The many large yaughts were well lit up for
Christmas, it was quiet the sight to behold. We passed the U.S.S.
Abraham Lincoln No 72, an aircraft carrier docked in Everett,
Washington. The train ride back was not as eventful as coming out. Met
one young lady who had been in jail for the last 4 days and she
explained the procedure they had to go through. All who were arrested
at the WTO had refused to give police their names or addresses. So she
showed me her arrest warrant and all it had on it was "Jane WTO" as
name, a real souvenir, huh. Glad I didn't get one.
So that's a report on our last anti-poverty meeting of the
millennium.
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