A Visible Voice for Peace in Fresno
A Visible Voice for Peace in Fresno
By Mike Rhodes
July 2, 2004
Lifestyle Furniture is located where the action is in Fresno. They are on the Southeast corner of Shaw and Blackstone, better known in the community as the peace corner. On the first Friday of every month Peace Fresno supporters gather on the peace corner with their signs, flags, and music. They are a visible voice for peace from 4:30 PM until whenever they decide to disband. During their presence on the corner you can hear a lot of drivers honking their approval, there are many smiles, and support to end the war in Iraq. Shaw and Blackstone is one of the busiest intersections in town and was chosen because the site allows Peace Fresno to get its message out to thousands of people in a single afternoon.
But there has been a price to pay for having a public presence and advocating for peace on the corner of Shaw and Blackstone. Lifestyle Furniture told Peace Fresno not to use their parking lot while they held their rally. Then, to emphasis the point, they brought in a tow truck to haul away peace activists cars. The tow truck would sit and wait for somebody to pull into the lot and join the peace rally. They would then pull up behind the car and start the process to tow it away. It didn’t matter that the lot was empty, they would tell people that they were going to tow the car if it wasn’t immediately moved.
At today’s rally, the struggle with Lifestyle Furniture escalated a notch when the Fresno Police Department sent an officer to the rally. He was there at the request of the furniture store because the Peace Fresno banner was on their property by one inch. The absurdity of the situation was lost on the officer as he explained that the banner would have to be moved one inch to the Northwest. There are rapes and murders taking place in this town and the FPD has time to harass Peace Fresno because the manager from Lifestyle Furniture thinks a banner needs to be moved one inch?
Peace Fresno has also had to endure the absolute insanity of the Free Republic that regularly sets up on the Southwest corner of Shaw and Blackstone. Jim Robinson (head Freeper) was there today with a handful of his faithful. For a well funded national group that is headquartered in Fresno, they have never been able to mobilize more than a handful of people to support their cause. Perhaps the theme War is Peace does not appeal to a lot of people.
Peace Fresno is also the target of a vicious disinformation campaign right here on this very Indymedia site. Every event they announce is met with a barrage of disinformation. Comments are posted that tell readers that the event has been moved or canceled. Imaginary potlucks are posted in the calendar section, marches are called, photos altered, and death threats made. Who is responsible? The Free Republic? The Joint Terrorism Task Force? Who knows?
The editors of Indymedia remove misinformation, terrorist threats, and other inappropriate postings as soon as it is found. If you see a posting about a Peace Fresno event and you want to check out the validity of the information - go to their web site at www.peacefresno.org . The correct information will be available there.
Intolerance is the new theme of the Left, apparently.
It was a moving and appropriate tribute to those who defend the freedom of the citizens of the United States, including those who choose to express hatred by protesting against her troops.
What's insane is Peace Fresno trying to get an opposing viewpoint silenced by accusing them of crimes as serious as "death threats" without the least concern for facts.
Leaving that aside, as I understand, Peace Fresno didn't park in their parking lot, they only occupied the sidewalk which is public space and 1 inch of the landscaping in front of their store ... hardly impedeing the stores supposed 'constitutional right to profit.'
From what I've seen of Peace Fresno, they wouldn't say anything without the documentation to back it up.
“PEACE FRESNO “ T-shirt. I was wearing it so appropriately
on the 4th of July.
Yes, Fahrenheit 911 has brought
Attention to the pathetic behavior of the neon’s in Fresno.
* People are surprised and saddened what George Bush, his
Friends and the Patriot Act have done to this country.
** Those outrage are democrats, republicans, independents,
green parties, non-committed, and people who don’t vote.
* I just direct them to the Peace Fresno website so the can
see what happens when Bush morons take over.
4344 N. Blackstone
Fresno, CA 93726
General Information
Original Business Start Date: January 1991
Type of Entity: Corporation
Principal : Mr. Larry Hoang Owner
Customer Contact: Mr. Jason Gobeli Sales Manager
Phone Number: (559) 228-1694
Email Address: lifestlyefurniture [at] sbcglobal.net
Membership Status: Yes
Type-of-Business Classification: Furniture-Retail
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:0nw5Yg_BuGQJ:http://www.cencal.bbb.org/commonreport.html%3Fcompid%3D4001197+%22Jason+Gobeli%22&hl=en
Peace Fresno and the people that support it is composed of CSUF faculty, teachers, ministers, social workers, attorneys, law students, salespeople, and many others from all walks of life. Oh yes, and all of us buy furniture. Word is spreading fast that you are anything but tolerant and receptive.
Who would want to do business with someone like that?
Think it over.
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.