The local alternative paper, Eugene Weekly, published my letter to the editor today, 12/15/16. At the end, please see a way you can email a peaceful, strong note to Mandy Jones.

Climate Crisis

The Native American Water Protectors’ victory over the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) may seem remote, but there is a way this climate crisis issue is directly in front of me, and all Americans.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, based in Washington, D.C., is one of the main groups championing DAPL and the petrochemical-industry rape of Earth. The climate defender group 350 asked for five years that local chambers assert their independence and say “the U.S. Chamber doesn’t speak for me.” Unfortunately, only 56 out of 3,000 of these local chambers have spoken up.

Rather than viewing this as a failure, I look at it as a challenge.

Several activists and I have petitioned the local Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, but despite many years of emails, peaceful protests and outreach, the leadership has maintained silence about the climate crisis and the U.S. Chamber.

In 2017, the chair of the local chamber will be Mandy Jones, the chief executive officer for Oregon Consumer Credit Union. I’ve been a proud member of OCCU since 1988. I am encouraging OCCU, as a member-owned entity, to ask the local chamber to speak up about the climate crisis.

David Oaks, Eugene

Action: Please send a message to Ms. Mandy Jones about how you encourage OCCU to speak out about the climate crisis and the US Chamber. Use the website here, and put your comment on the left side form: https://www.myoccu.org/contact-us

For more info about 350 campaign started in 2001 about the US Chamber, see:  http://chamber.350.org/

For news about Eugene-area activity about the chamber, see:  http://www.davidwoaks.com/normalgeddon

 

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UPDATE: Both a five-minute edited version and a ten-minute full version of my Sam Bond’s Summer 2016 comedy can be found below now for your viewing pleasure. In a while we will post the February 2017 return to the stage, thanks David Zupan, you are a real friend! We have also updated additional info after the videos, including links.

Below, you can watch the both a five-minute and ten-minute video of me, David W. Oaks, getting laughs and a standing ovation, with captions, of my stand-up comedy, Summer 2016.

Before I broke my neck in 2012, I was director of MindFreedom International with more than 40 years as a community organizer. I am a human rights psychiatric survivor activist and I have spoken in a dozen countries. This is my first paid public speaking gig after my fall. I praise the great disability support I receive, “Keep Eugene Weirdest!”

Five-minute version:

Ten-minute version:

This full version of the comedy, with the popular line “Hey you’re all going to die!” can be appreciated by anyone, but includes a few local references:

• Oregon Country Fair is a huge gathering each July near Eugene in the woods, with thousands of volunteer-participants. I am an Elder there. Just use your search engine to watch images and video of Oregon Country Fair, to try to get an idea of this wild event!
• George Braddock at OCF, helps organize the huge Ritz sauna there, and is an expert on disability, especially bathrooms. Just search for the following phrase to try to get an idea of George’s imagination: ritz oregon country fair
• Making a news announcement here, I say I am running against Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-OR) as a write-in this election, because of Pete’s co-sponsorship of a bill that would increase forced outpatient psychiatric treatment. I call this the “Bill Cosby School of Mental Health,” and I wonder if Pete needs psychiatric help, first. You may view news about a visit to Rep. DeFazio’s office by a few of us to make this point, here: http://www.davidwoaks.com/awards-to-pete-defazio-opposing-forced-psychiatric-drugs
• This public gig was at the monthly stand-up comedy event at a community gathering place, Sam Bond’s Garage. “Bleepin’ Funny” happens every month led by comedian Leigh Anne Jasheway, who can be seen sitting near the front of the crowd. Check the Sam Bond’s website toward the end of each month. On Facebook you may check the page for Leigh Anne Jasheway.
• Also, on the stage you can see one of my several employees, Ian.
• I often have creative events at Kesey Square, in downtown Eugene, named for my friend, the late Ken Kesey, local author of the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Search this blog for several events we have held in the square: kesey.
• For instance, on November 4, 2016: You can read more about this free tour on my blog at: http://www.davidwoaks.com/keep-eugene-weirdest

Below you will find a transcript of my comedy:

First, my five-minute version:

“Bleepin’ Funny Comedy Night” 5 minute version at Sam Bonds; Eugene, Oregon on July 30th, 2016

DAVID OAKS

PsychoQuad

So, everybody, I am David Oaks, PsychoQuad. [applause, cheering]

A funny thing happened on the way up a ladder to get our cat, Bongo.

Now this was in December, 2012,  which you call the end of the Mayan calendar.

Right? I did not believe in that BS.

So my shoes were wet, and in going for Bongo… and, well, I fell.

So Lee Anne Jashaway [hostess for this comedy night] suggested I talk about the worst case scenario.

Hey, you’re all gonna die. [applause, cheering] Thanks.

No, really, the moment I fell I got more labels.

But I had an advantage.

In ancient days, 40 years ago, I was a working class kid going to Harvard

and it flipped me out.

So I ended up in a psychiatric institution five times and it flipped me out.

Alright. So a dozen shrinks diagnosed me as psychotic. It’s true.

That means “psychotic,” that means… [pause]

Hey, bar guy!

Hey, bar guy! If you make a noise, I’ll get your address and be in your life! [applause, cheering]

Is that clear? Alright.  

Anyway, so there I was, now with a psychiatric label.

I’ve had a lot of time to think. 4,000 hours of NPR. [laughter]

alright. My main label is not what you think.

My main label is, I see some of you, “White Older Guy.”

“White Older Guy” or a WOG. [loud laughter] That’s my label.

Now, we’ve had a good run. 10,000 years.

OK, we’re about to leave. We’re shuffling off. Alright.

Alright. Please, please, learn from our mistakes. [loud laughter]

Please. It’s your planet but uh….

So, I do not recommend that you break your neck anywhere. [laughter]

But if you have to break your neck, do it here, Eugene, Oregon.

And my goal now, I want to be the weirdest in the world.

Weirdest in the world!  

You heard about Mohammed Ali? “Greatest.”

I want to be weirdest.

And I say we all in Eugene… Screw Portland. [laughter]

What do you mean, “Keep Portland Weird”?

Keep us weirdest!

Thanks much.

[loud cheering, standing ovation]

Here is the full ten-minute version:

[revised 10/31/16]

“Bleepin’ Funny Comedy Night” 9.25 min. version at Sam Bonds; Eugene, Oregon on July 30th, 2016

DAVID OAKS

[applause] Ian’s great. Thank you, Ian. Let’s hear it for Ian. [applause, cheering]

These guys are amazing. I have about eight employees, and they’re great. Thank you.

So, everybody, I am David Oaks, PsychoQuad. [applause, cheering]

So, ah, so really will we find something funny here?

A funny thing happened on the way up a ladder to get our cat, Bongo.

Now this was in December, 2012,

which you call the end of the Mayan calendar.

Right? I did not believe in that BS.

So my, uh, shoes were wet and in going for Bongo… and, well, I fell.

So Lee Anne Jashaway [hostess for this comedy night] suggested I talk about the worst case scenario.

Hey, you’re all gonna die. [applause, cheering] Thanks.

No, really, the moment I fell I got more labels.

But I had an advantage.

In ancient days, 40 years ago, I was a working class kid going to Harvard and it flipped me out.

So I ended up in a psychiatric institution five times and it flipped me out.

Alright. So a dozen shrinks diagnosed me as psychotic. It’s true.

That means “psychotic,” that means… [pause]

Hey, bar guy!

Hey, bar guy. If you make a noise, I’ll get your address and be in your life! [applause, cheering]

Is that clear? Alright.  

Anyway, so there I was now with a psychiatric label.

I’ve had a lot of time to think. 4,000 hours of NPR. [laughter]

Alright. My main label is not what you think.

My main label is, I see some of you, “White Older Guy.”

“White Older Guy” or a WOG. [loud laughter] That’s my label.

Now, we’ve had a good run. 10,000 years.

Ok, we’re about to leave. We’re shuffling off. Alright.

Alright. Please, please, learn from our mistakes. [loud laughter]

Please. It’s your planet but uh….

So the number one group to help me

over the last 42 months is surprising:

It is Oregon Country Fair. [cheering] They win.

I don’t know if they were aware they were competing,

but wow I mean, you have got Debra, my wife, who is way ahead

ah, accessibility workers, you name it.

My bathroom is by George Braddock at the Ritz.

I mean wowie zowie.

So, I do not recommend that you break your neck anywhere. [laughter]

It is a tough way to be surrounded by great people like Ian and Emily.

But if you have to break your neck, do it here, Eugene, Oregon.

And my goal now, I want to be the weirdest in the world.

Weirdest in the world!

You heard about Mohammed Ali? “Greatest.”

I want to be weirdest.

And I say we all in Eugene… Screw Portland. [laughter]

What do you mean, “Keep Portland Weird”?

Keep us weirdest.

Alright. So tomorrow I’ll be at Kesey Square.

So if you want some weird fun.

But wrapping up my eight minutes: Let me tell ya that, during the “Sunday Streets” especially at 3 PM.

I have a news announcement. All right.

I’ve known [Rep.] Pete DeFazio [D-OR] for three decades.

Pete is great. But the pressure has gotten too big.

Pete DeFazio. You are all invited to tell him you heard it here.

I am running against Pete as a write-in candidate.

David Oaks. O A K S. No E.  Now you can tell Pete.

My reason is: “Pete, you’ve become the Bill Cosby of mental health.”

Repeat this joke. It’s a funny joke. [laughter]

“Pete, David Oaks says you have become the Bill Cosby of mental health.” Come on everybody. Try it out. Come on. Try it. Be revolutionary. [laughter] Try 1, 2, 3.

“Pete, you have become the Bill Cosby of mental health.

“According to David Oaks

“According to David Oaks… who is running against you.”

So, Pete, get some psychiatric help.

That’s from your psycho quad friend. By the way,

Lee Anne, you lead me. Thank you. [cheering]

[inaudible] Thanks much. You’re all so funny. I’ve enjoyed it.

We have enjoyed you for months. Thanks much.

[cheering, standing ovation]

[revised 10/31/16]

To stay in touch, please get on the email list which you can do on the right side of this blog.

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• You can download a PDF flyer about this event here: 11-4-2016-keep-eugene-weirdest
• On Facebook, find this event: https://www.facebook.com/events/360892380927309/

This Friday, Nov. 4, 2016 — Free Walking Tour

Keep Eugene Weirdest!

“We’re the crazy ones?”

Your tour guides: Slug Queen Mark Roberts (wearing Donald Trump mask), David Oaks, Michael Hejazi, Ian McTeague, R. Drake Ewbank and David Zupan.

 

 

• 1:30 pm: Intro & icebreaker start at Kesey Square.
• 2 pm: Tour walks east on Broadway to office of Rep. Peter DeFazio. Deliver humorous awards objecting to his co-sponsorship of bill that supports more outpatient involuntary psychiatry.
• 3 pm: Walk back to Kesey Square for open mic.

Modeled after the First Friday Art Walk, this totally independent amplified peaceful tour is for fun, but there is a serious side. Rep. Peter DeFazio has supported H.R. 2646, a huge mental health bill. The worst part is federal support for involuntary outpatient psychiatric care. Rep. DeFazio claims this will not emphasize forced drugging. But the tour guides know otherwise.  In fact, David Oaks is running for Peter’s seat as a write in.

Free. Sponsored by International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment.

Organizer David Oaks (pictured on left) is a psychiatric survivor activist www.davidwoaks.com [email protected] Michael Hejazi is a mental health counselor in Eugene www.michaelhejazi.ca Ian McTeague is a local socialist organizer and IWW member. David Zupan is a community organizer media activist, a leader for the new Homegrown Community Radio, www.kepw.org. Mark Roberts is a long-time disability human rights activist and Old Slug Queen.

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Native American water protectors resisting the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) may seem remote. From here in Eugene, Oregon, it is about 1,500 miles to Standing Rock, which is the gathering site this year of thousands of indigenous people and their allies from all over this hemisphere. But there is a way this climate crisis issue is directly in front of me and many people throughout the U.S.A.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is one of the main groups championing DAPL and the petrochemical industry rape of Earth. The climate defender group 350 has asked that local Chambers assert their independence and say, “The U.S. Chamber doesn’t speak for me.” Unfortunately, only 56 out of 3,000 of these local Chambers have spoken up. Rather than viewing this as a failure, I look at it as a challenge.

Several activists and I have petitioned the local Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, but despite many emails, peaceful protests, and outreach, the leadership has maintained silence about the climate crisis and the U.S. Chamber. You may read about some of these protests by finding my blogs:

• We protest Ninkasi brewery because one of their leaders is local Chamber chair.
• In 2015, we did a peaceful protest at the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce.
• In 2014, we gave a fun award to the Eugene Chamber, the Golden Ostrich!

In 2017, the newly elected chair of the local chamber will be Mandy Jones, who is the Chief Executive Officer for Oregon Consumer Credit Union. I’ve been a proud member of OCCU since 1988. I encourage OCCU, as a member-owned entity, to ask the local Chamber to speak up about the climate crisis.

I would like to encourage you to send a brief, strong, peaceful email to OCCU about the climate crisis and speaking up. You may use the OCCU website here.

For more info about the protectors at DAPL, you may click here:

• Democracy Now! has featured several news segments about Standing Rock. 
• The Facebook area for resisting DAPL.

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Update 22 October 2016: At the bottom you will now find a rebuttal from Rep. DeFazio. 

The main alternative paper here in Eugene, Oregon ran my letter to the editor about why I am running (or rolling) as write-in candidate to replace Rep. Pete DeFazio.

Eugene Weekly, October 6, 2016:

MENTAL HEALTH LAWS 

Rep. Pete DeFazio sadly co-sponsored the worst piece of mental health legislation I have seen in 42 years of human rights activism. HR 2646 is more than 100 pages long, so mainly lobbyists seem to know the details. The worst part is that this bill extends federal financial support for involuntary outpatient psychiatric treatment.

In other words, Americans living peacefully in their own homes could be court-ordered to take psychiatric drugs against their will. I call this approach the “Bill Cosby School of Mental Health.”

I have supported Pete for decades and interacted with Pete personally several times. He’s always been kind of grouchy. That is OK; everyone has a different style. But if Pete legislates for involuntary psychiatry despite many constituents trying to explain why this is horrifying, then we have the right to ask, “Has Pete ever had a mental health check-up himself?” If not, will he?

Those of us with psychiatric labels appear to be one of the last groups that get thrown under the bus, by both Democrats and Republicans. I hope the Senate stops the bill.

Following the revolutionary Micah White’s strategy, I have decided to place my name as a write-in candidate for Congress.

David Oaks, Eugene

Update News:

Your feedback, questions, support are encouraged via the public comment area at the end of this blog. Also, please use Rep. Pete DeFazio’s website to ask about this topic. Even though I hope much of mu blog is humorous, I do want to take the moral road about elections and mental health. Please ask Pete to do the same, because this bill will probably be back in some version or other.

By coincidence, today I was also on the teleconference for the National Counsel on Independent Living Mental Health Civil Rights Subcommittee. Thankfully, we heard a report that the US Senate has not acted to vote for this Murphy bill. The Senate has not taken pieces of the Murphy bill to become amendments in a new mental health bill, either.

Because of the election next month, Congress is highly unlikely to pass any big bill about mental health. Of course we should stay vigilant. But mainly we should be prepared for the new session in 2017.

I said on the teleconference that we need to move from a quiet, group-oriented, Washington D.C. beltway, Facebook-based campaign to a transparent, national, people-power approach. Remember our mantra: Nothing about us without us! We need to learn from past disability campaigns that we need thousands of folks all over the country to not only stop Murphy, but to also win ratification of the historic UN treaty for disability rights.

Here are more places to learn about some of these issues:

Resource links:

From my earlier blog entries

• Keep the pressure on the Senate against Murphy bill.
• Sen. Wyden’s little-known personal connection to mental health.
• Presidential primary and forced outpatient psychiatry.
• Race, gun violence and stopping the Murphy bill: #blacklivesmatter
• Yes, outpatient court-ordered psychiatry can include electroshock!
• Unitarian Universalism, social justice and reviving our movement.

Other links

• The Eugene Weekly, 10/6/2016, that ran my letter.
• The USA is one of the few countries to not ratify a historic UN disability rights treaty.
• Author Micah White, PhD helped launch Occupy, is a write-in candidate for Mayor of Nehalem.
• You are encouraged to email Rep. Pete DeFazio about mental health and this blog. 
• Please share this blog, here is the short link: http://wp.me/p5rAJR-oS 

On October 20, Eugene Weekly published a response from Rep. DeFazio:

MENTAL HEALTH PROGRESS

In the Oct. 6 edition of EW, local activist David Oaks claimed that legislation that I co-sponsored, along with 207 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives, would force “Americans living peacefully in their own homes” to take psychiatric drugs under court order. This is simply not factually accurate. The bill, H.R. 2646, includes language that supports assisted outpatient therapy (AOT) programs for those within the community who are found to be mentally unstable and unwilling to seek voluntarily treatment, posing a serious threat to themselves and others. AOT is usually in the form of case management and personal therapy programs and does not necessarily require medical intervention. As I hope Mr. Oaks is aware, Oregon law already authorized AOT and Oregon’s statute is clear: AOT does not include forced medication. H.R. 2646 passed the House with a bi-partisan vote of 422-2. This common sense legislation was a huge step forward in improving our mental health system, and I’m proud to be a co-sponsor.

Peter DeFazio, 4th Congressional District Candidate, Eugene

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My wife Debra insisted this morning that I load up and watch with her a TED (Technology Entertainment Design) Talk that Al Gore made earlier this year, February 2016. Al explains why he is optimistic about addressing the climate crisis, if we all jump on board right now. The last few years I have watched hundreds of documentaries, including countless TED Talks, however this one is indeed special.

So call me loony, but with Debra, I did watch Al Gore’s latest TED presentation, 25 minutes, and I gained positivity:

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about this crisis? Please leave your comment at the end of this blog entry.

Yes, I know that I have brought up on this blog the worst case scenario more than once, to try to do my part in waking up a seemingly-hypnotized public. This year’s TED Talk by Al starts off with the updated reality of the catastrophe, and how we need to mobilize immediately. After this frightening wake-up call, the next two points he brings up are very, very positive, and I hope everyone watches his explanation.

I need Al’s dose of accurate optimism. Two things I am most concerned about:

First, scientists have known for a while that there is a 40-year lag between dumping carbon in the atmosphere, and the end result. In other words, the increased heat we are experiencing now came from the carbon that was released in about 1976. The worst carbon pollution, from the past few decades, has not yet had a chance to have its hellish consequences. If you would like to read more about this lag see: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Climate-Change-The-40-Year-Delay-Between-Cause-and-Effect.html

But second, my biggest worry, is that most of the general public does not seem to understand what a revolution in the sciences. Unfortunately there is no one word that sums up this paradigm shift, but some of the words for it are: complexity theory, emergence, the Butterfly effect, systems theory, nonlinearity, self-organizing, feedback, chaos theory, fractals, etc.

Even Aristotle lectured about this idea. With the advent of computers, scientists gathered clear evidence that self-organizing feedback loops are extremely significant and influential. Inital conditions, even very slight ones, may have enormous consequences. Many of us have heard of the “Butterfly effect.” I hope that you know that the Butterfly effect is literally true and has been shown to be correct by the evidence. Yes, the flap of a butterfly wing in Brazil can eventually lead to changing when and where even a tornado arrives in Texas. Of course it is impossible to predict which butterfly may influence which tornado.

You may read a quick summary of emergence theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence

You may read a brief description of Butterfly effect here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect

A nice article about Edward Lorenz, the professor who developed the Butterfly effect: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/422809/when-the-butterfly-effect-took-flight/

The logic behind the Butterfly effect is that when a feedback loop is altered, even incrementally, this can cascade into major changes. One of the most pessimistic thinkers about the climate crisis, author Guy McPherson, has identified dozens of feedback self-reinforcing loops that can be triggered and make the climate crisis worse, in a non-linear and chaotic way. This is the so-called runaway climate crisis that we are sometimes warned about. McPherson famously believes that it is already too late to stop.

My impression is that because dealing with the climate crisis involves such a dispute with business leaders, that scientists have focused on what is highly likely to happen, such as the approximate increase of sea level rise in the next few decades, etc.

However, for me, the most scary part is that if humanity continues to insufficiently address the climate crisis, more and more positive feedback loops can be triggered. Think about driving late at night on a highway near a cliff. You spot what might be black ice on the road, and it would be wise to stop business as usual. Unfortunately, it is as if humanity has spotted black ice and seems to be driving even faster. If our imagined vehicle does hit black ice, and we begin to spin toward the cliff, then this chaotic feedback loop may become all too plain, but by then we may be learning too late.

There is such a thing as too late

Back in 2012, I climbed a little ladder for our cat, Bongo, who was playing in our loft in my writer’s studio. For some reason, these steps were the only ones I had not put tread on. I slipped, fell, broke my neck and now I am in a power chair. Because of pre-existing conditions, I even have a few more disabilities.

My point is, that many of us with extreme disabilities recognize how even a moment can lead to massive loss. Humanity looks like it is climbing up a slippery ladder, but Al Gore is warning folks about that step, and appears to also bring us hope about a revolution of solutions. The Butterfly effect can work to our advantage, too. Even small actions for our Earth may lead to massive good change, we do not have control over that exact outcome, but we must take those actions.

For example, for about three decades I have meditated. Obviously there are a lot of disputes about the unknown, spirituality, etc. I realize that even something as a good, mindful breath can have a positive effect. Hey, that means we can all be revolutionaries with every breath! And if we ever needed to be revolutionaries, and find other revolutionaries, it is now.

Earlier I mentioned that I had brought up the worst case scenario involving climate crisis. If you would like to read about that rather frightening horror, I even invented a new word for it: Normalgeddon! Click on that word to learn more.

But if you watch only one thing, please watch the Al Gore TED Talk from this year, he has made a great follow-up to that earlier TED Talk.

Thanks Debra! She said about the talk, “Positive, realistic, and not b.s. There are things that each of us can do to help. It gave me the courage and conviction to take action today!” Heck, her action even led to this blog entry. You could say Debra was the butterfly today. Debra has complained to me about how some climate activists dwell on the negative. While I respect Guy McPherson, the worst case scenario would rely on triggering chaotic, unpredictable feedback loops. In other words, it ain’t over yet, Guy!

Other folks believe that something like nuclear power or geoengineering will be the main solution. However, as Al points out, even if problems with nukes are addressed, they are only a small part of the answer. For me, I agree with Al that we need to build global will, and will is a renewable resource. One of my renewable sources of will is my community, especially Debra.

So here is a free, two-and-a-half minute video, about the call a loon, we can actually sound pretty beautiful as we locate other loons, as I did 33 years ago when I first met my wonderful Debra:

Eight years ago, Al Gore gave a TED Talk about new ways of thinking about the climate crisis. Thanks, Al, for re-visiting this topic and pointing out hopeful solutions. You may watch his earlier TED Talk from 2008 here:

During this past Summer, I reflected on who my actual audience is. While contemporary readers are welcome, thanks, I believe we need to all be creating for an audience seven generations ahead. Currently, an estimate of how long a generation is about 25 years. Then next year, 2017, seven generations ahead will be the year 2192. That will be a memorable year. That is also the 700th anniversary of the European invasion of this hemisphere.

Let us all take action now so that there is an audience in 2192! Thanks Al Gore for this optimism revolution, maybe there will indeed be an audience.

So are you positive or negative about our future? Will there be a healthy, positive generation in 2192? Leave your comment on this blog entry below, thanks!

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