Blogging on CNN and NYT

Danny Schecter does a blog called "News Dissector"... which is part of Media Channel.

Danny's blog is at http://www.newsdissector.org/blog/

Danny Schecter blogs (2/17/05) on:

"Their Reuters Foundation roundtable brought together Aaron Brown of CNN, Daniel Okrent, the public editor of the New York Times and former TV exec Jill Geisler of the Poynter Institute to talk Tsunami with Jan Egelend... Everyone started off patting the media on the back for the unprecedented graphic reporting accorded the Tsunami......Everyone acknowledged that the coverage resulted in unprecedented levels of donations and galvanized a major relief effort. It roused the world's conscience and saved lives to some degree even though the biggest loss of lives happened immediately when the big waves struck sweeping people and whole towns away."

And that leaves one to wonder what the general public would/could do if they saw and understood what war was really like. That point was noted in an indirect way by this comment:

"Hegland complained that the saturation coverage of the Tsunami in Asia has to be contrasted with the lack of coverage of other serious humanitarian disasters like the bloodletting in Congo, or Uganda, or Malaria that rates no coverage and affects as many or more people."

and directly noted in this comment:

"Jeff Sachs went further ..... (he) contrasted the coverage of the dead bodies in South Asia to the lack of coverage of the dead bodies in Iraq, saying, "When the Lancet magazine reported that l00 000 Iraqi civilians had been killed it was not covered. The N Y Times put it on page A 8 and never pressed for a response from the Administration. It was disgraceful." No one disagreed, but no one picked up the theme."

Danny then goes on to report:

"Aaron Brown listened to all this but did not engage. He explained the problem not as a journalist out to inform but as a media personality committed to maximizing audience size. "I deal with a "harsh reality," he said defensively. "I know eating Brussels sprouts is good for you, but I have to offer a more balanced meal and throw in some chocolate." The point: he will lose the audience if he gets into too much depth or human suffering. " TV is a business was the ultimate excuse. He seemed to squirm around the points as if to say,what do you want me to do guys, I work in commercial television."

I think Brown insults both chocolate and Brussels sprouts. I love chocolate, and I eat it nearly every day. What CNN serves up is not "a balanced meal". It is mainly slop. CNN is to information as McDonalds is to nutrition (since we're on a food theme here). One can eat at McDonalds and not starve, but one will not have good health either. One can watch CNN and have some glimmer of what is going on (pay close attention!) in the world, but one will not be well-informed by any means. For example, Brown did cover the 100,00 Iraqi civilians reported killed. It took less than a minute, and he was the only CNN anchor who did that.

Danny goes on to blog:

I don't want to knock Brown. He was just voicing the market logic of commercial TV without perhaps realizing that it is precisely that logic that is driving so many viewers away from the tube. He recognizes that he is a prisoner of the dumbed down cable environment that companies like CNN created."

I emailed Brown lots and lots in 2003/2004. I told him I was trying to 'reform' him.... he answered once "trust me, this is not about reforming me".... all I could say was "trust me, IT IS". Brown also said that TV was the ultimate democracy, and that people are feel to change the channel. I changed the channel, and stopped paying for the expanded cable that included CNN.

Danny says:

"At least, he (Brown) showed up for the panel and does try to offer a mix of stories on his program, many better than so many others, however pretentious I might find him at times. The pity is that someone of his skill and there are many like him are only allowed to do far less than they are capable of because of the formats and the way that frame news."

He does it for the money. He does not care if the news being reported is undermining our democracy, nor does he care about the Iraqi civilians who were killed. Brown cheerleaded this war from the very beginning, and never let up. He never apologized for getting any of the stories wrong... and even told me at one time "lots of good people got the WMDs story wrong... even Clinton". Beyond the fact that seeing a man who cheats on his wife and then lies about it as a "good person", he clearly felt NO ONE should be held responsible for the lies that lead to this war. I can guarantee you this: Brown never even labeled them as LIES on any reporting he did. Nor did he ever comment on how the people who pulled this off have paid ABSOLUTELY NO PENALTY. Up onto October 2003, he still had Judith Miller on his show claiming the WMDs would be found.

And he continues to show little regard about the state and circumstances of Iraqi civilians... unless they happen to be 35 elderly Jewish people who were resettled in Israel. Touching story, that, and it made me think of how Brown takes his little, tiny penlight of truth and illustrates some small truth that other journalists don't mention. While he was illustrating how these elderly folks were rescued, he totally and purposefully ignores all the slaughter, chaos, pain, death, torture, and fear of the vast, vast majority of the rest of the Iraqi population... which number about 24-25 million. Yes, he got the story of the 35 elderly people right... and ignored the 24,999,965 other people in that country.

Danny again:

"We said hello as he left (He was still smarting over emails readers sent to CNN demanding better election coverage) but unfortunately he left to go back to word before I got to unwind from the floor."

And I rather wished we had kept the pressure on.... it might have done some good. Besides, I was having fun.

"He (Brown) himself was bitching about all the Robert Black stories he is doing. And he will go on doing them. I am sure his candor was constrained, He knows what can happen if he mouths off too much at panels like these. He worked for Eason Jordan too."

And, always, always, in America .... it is someone else's fault... and NO ONE, NO ONE IS TO BLAME. When are we ever going to get some people who actually take responsibility for what they say and do???? In light of the fact that they started a war and occupation against a country that had not threatened or attacked anyone for over 12 years... where exactly are we headed?? Can we afford to have a population that knows all about Laci, OJ, Jackson, Blake, etc etc... yet doesn't know what is going on in entire CONTINENTS of this world? and ignorant of what the US government is doing with our money on foreign shores?

Danny again:

"Just one last point, when asked what people should do to get better coverage, the impressive Daniel Okrent of the Times put it in one word: "AGITATE," And then this agust ombudsman of the newspaper of record added two more "MAKE NOISE." He said that's the only things that works. And he should know."

Oh, now, this is funny. You see, I have emailed Okrent also... let me give you an idea of what he said when I told him what I thought about the NYT's reporting on Bremer shutting down Sadr's newspaper (which was an example of more stenography): "The tone of your message indicates that you despise journalism, and prefer people to represent your views and yours alone. I'm almost embarrassed that my May 30 column condemning The Times for its WMD reporting embraces your position on that subject."

I would hardly call the NYT's mea culpa on the WMDs stories to be "self-condemning". I would say it was a mild self-rebuke, one that did not mention Judith Miller or many others by name, and left out many things. Funny he should accuse me of wanting "my views and mine alone" presented when the NYT did almost no coverage of the anti-war voices or reports that the WMDs claim was bogus prior to the start of the war (that would be what my views were.... hear any calls for immediate withdrawal from Iraq? no, they are not representing my views.) However, what I want from them is not a representation of my views, but a presentation of what is actually, truthfully, happening. Then I can test my views against what information is coming in, and determine if the viewpoint I am proposing is accurate or not. I want my fellow citizens to be somewhat informed.

But then, the NYT did at least sorta apologize for missing the WMD story. Not true for CNN.

Danny Schecter goes on to request that we join Media for Democracy to ask CNN and the Pentagon to investigate the charges (opinions?) of Eason's remarks. Funny to think that we should be in a position to ask the "news" media to start reporting stuff.... And as the remark by Okrent above shows, they don't much like it when you point out to them how they are not doing their jobs. And now we are supposed to agitate and petition for protection of the press? Personally, I'm hoping to have a "Judith Miller goes to jail for the wrong reasons" party soon. Yes, I'm angry.

Thank you, Danny, for what you do. I think you are way too easy on them, maybe because you have an insider viewpoint. I started watching CNN (again) and reading the NYT (again) on a regular basis, along with other establishment media, soon after 9/11. I thought I was missing something. Well, I sure was. I was missing how our population is being served nonsense, day in and day out, and misled about what our government was actually doing. I reached all of my own conclusions long before I heard of people like you, Danny, or Amy Goodman, or FAIR, or Media Matters, FreePress, or Common Cause or anybody else who shares my opinions and viewpoints.

I still think.

I still read.

I could figure out that there were no nuclear WMDs even close to being made in Iraq back in 2002. They could have figured it out too. (Actually, I think they did!) But what really got me going was the ignoring of the pain and death of the Iraqi people from the immoral, evil actions of the US government and the Bush administration.

And, they are still failing to report on this! I'm willing to bet that I know more about it than they do! Note my comments on a NYT article this week on my prior blog post.

So, we're supposed to go to bat and stick up for the rights of the press, when they aren't even doing their jobs? I don't think so.

More Torturous Stories

More stories of torture by US operatives are coming to light. The NY Times has a story today on how the ACLU has turned up new files detailing torture stories in Afghanistan and Iraq. It sickens me to hear about such stuff, done with my tax dollars. I sometimes feel we have abandoned all morality in this country. And it seems to get worse and worse, with no one higher up punished for allowing (or encouraging) this to happen. Common sense would tell you that soldiers and CIA operatives don't do this and take pictures of it, and then circulate them around, post them as screensavers on their computers - if they thought what they were doing was against the rules, or going to get them in trouble. And the vast majority of the American population says ill-informed or uninformed of what is happening. Here's a piece of what the NY Times article said:

"A cache of documents disclosed Thursday provides several instances of prisoner abuse by American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq that appeared to have been investigated only briefly. The documents, released by the American Civil Liberties Union, include one file...."

The whole article is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/politics/18abuse.html?pagewanted=all

Also in the NY Times is an article on Najaf. Six months after the US-Sadr fighting, large sections of the city lie in ruins, with significant gas and electricity shortages. Tourists have not returned. The US authorities (via the military) has done some compensation in Najaf, with the largest amount being $2,500 for the death of a child. (AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION CLAIMS THE NUMBER OF CIVILIANS KILLED IN IRAQ IS UNKNOWABLE!!! - THIS IS A FLAT OUT LIE!)

This article in the NY Times claims the locals (at least the ones they interviewed) blamed Sadr's militia, not the US troops. This same person that they interviewed claims he would hang up a picture of Bush in his business, but he is afraid to do so. But, I really don't think he would be afraid of blaming the US troops for the destruction in his city, in light of the fact that what he was saying was going into the largest newspaper in the USA. No, we all know that the US would not retaliate towards anyone in Iraq, just for expressing an opinion. That's like saying the US troops would round up innocent people in Iraq and then TORTURE them. Ridiculous, really. (oh, wait, wait, see above).

Well the NY Times did get one thing right in this article: they mentioned that it was SISTANI that ended the fighting. Lots of US fools like to think the US won that one.....

"It gets a little worse every day" (guess who said that?)

Kyoto

Today was the day the Kyoto agreement went into effect..... but not for the US. They did not sign it, and have no respect or real concern about the environment. Some people in the US feel this way because they believe the "rapture" is going to happen any day now, so there is no need to worry about the environment. I spent many years whitewater kayaking, so I know the environment is in big trouble. The rivers are polluted, and really, there is no excuse for this state of affairs.

(I saw a bumper sticker in Asheville that said "In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned". I wanted to ask him: in case of rapture, can I have your car?)

Tonight, I went to a local community center for a meeting. I was waiting around outside, since it was a warm night here. A man was sitting there in a huge truck, a diesel truck, with the engine running. I went up to him and asked him why he was running the engine all that time, and he replied that he was waiting for his daughter. I told him that running cars causes air pollution, and he told me "I don't care" and then told me to shut up. I think it is very sad that I care more about his daughter's health than he does.

Latest Letter to the Editor (Asheville)

Title: Sowell selective in protesters he denigrated in column

Thomas Sowell’s syndicated column, “Acceptance of irresponsible behavior sign of a sick society,” (AC-T, Feb. 1), states, “This may be some people’s idea of a healthy democracy but it is more of a sign of a spreading sickness in a society too wimpish to insist that law and order matter. ...” He was commenting on the protesters at the inauguration.

In the next day’s paper, the headline read “Memories of lunch counter sit-ins vivid for local pastor.” I would have to conclude that Sowell had yet to recognize the value to our society of what those protesters accomplished so many years ago. As a protester at the inauguration, I hope we have accomplished something positive also.

I was there to protest this war. I was there to protest torture. I will not forget the tens of thousands of innocents who died because of this war. I will not forget Maher Arar, a Canadian man shipped to Syria for “extraordinary rendition” (torture) by the U.S. authorities. I will not forget the thousands of people in U.S.-run prisons in Cuba, Iraq and Afghanistan (and who knows where else) who are held without charges and tortured. I will not forget that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s memos are what led to this torture.

Susan Oehler,
Asheville

So, what should we call ourselves?

The United States of Torturers? Torturers-R-us? We Are All Torturers Now? I can take no credit for any of those "names" applied to America recently. They came from other Americans, who are as upset by the direction this country is headed as I am. Bob Herbert, NYT columnist, has joined us. He wrote an article "Torture, American Style". Here's a clip, but you will need to go to the NY Times and register to read the whole thing.

"This is one of the great euphemisms of our time. Extraordinary rendition is the name that's been given to the policy of seizing individuals without even the semblance of due process and sending them off to be interrogated by regimes known to practice torture. In terms of bad behavior, it stands side by side with contract killings.

Our henchmen in places like Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Jordan are torturing terror suspects at the behest of a nation - the United States - that just went through a national election in which the issue of moral values was supposed to have been decisive. How in the world did we become a country in which gays' getting married is considered an abomination, but torture is O.K.?"

Mr. Herbert talks about Mr. Arar, a Canadian of Syrian background, who was sent to Syria for "extraordinary rendition". He was never charged with a crime. He was tortured and held in Syria for 10 months. His case was the reason that Canada issued a statement recommending that Canadian citizens or residents of Middle Eastern origin do not go to the United States for business or pleasure..... or any reason. It is amazingly awful that Canada is saying "don't visit the USA.... it is too dangerous" yet I fully agree with their warnings.

An amazing thing is this: torture doesn't even work. People who are tortured will admit to anything, so the information they give is useless.

And we are becoming a country of immoral barbarians. I still am working on what we should call ourselves...... The Wizards of Torture....... To Have and To Torture...... The Unbearable Lightness of Torture..... Willy Wonka and the Torture Factory.... The Sound of Torture... The Texas Chain Saw Torturers..... A Tale of Two Torturers.....

I'm working on movie titles because my imagination is truly challenged by this situation. I never thought I would live to see the USA export and practice torture around the world.

Iraqi lives count too

Below is an on-line petition to MSNBC. It is asking them to count the Iraqi civilian lives lost in this war, along with the American lives. They have equal value, and all human live has equal value.

http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/MSNBCHumanCost/

Also, there is a two minute movie at American Friends Service Committee that is worth watching, if you have a fast internet connection. The movie is called "Wage Peace". They also have a petition... to bring the US troops home from Iraq NOW.

www.afsc.org

And today's big news items.... North Korea has got a nuclear bomb program, and the Bush administration is not doing anything about that. They are too busy threatening Iran, who is working on a nuclear energy program, but the US thinks they are building nuclear weapons. IAEA does not agree. Iran denies it. But NK..... they boast about it. Who's the bigger problem?

Also, it has been revealed that the FAA was warned about al Qaeda attacks before 9/11. And they did nothing. So, our country is busy starting wars (based on a pack of lies) with countries that did not attack or threaten us, busy threatening some more countries (probably more lies)that did not attack or threaten us, busy selling arms around the world (and lying about it) like nobody's business (and is it a PROFITABLE business, too) and ignoring the real threats to American lives.

We are on the March of Folly.

Unchurched for 30 years

To 3 churches in one day

I was raised in the Catholic church, complete with 12 years of Catholic education. I remember thinking as a child "what ARE these people thinking?" during mass. I enjoyed the singing, and the church was lavish, but it was beautiful. I tried to logically understand what they were really trying to say, but it never did add up for me. During my teen years, I realized how patriarchal and male-dominated that church is/was, and I completely left the Catholic church.

For the next thirty years, I engaged in a number of outdoor activities, mostly camping and whitewater kayaking. Doing these things really brought me closer to the Higher Power that is present in nature, and is a part of us all. During that time, I also had some very personal spiritual experiences, and came to realize the "light of God" that is a spark in all living beings. I always said a silent thanks for the beauty that I saw right in front of me, millions and millions of times. I never tired of looking at the water, how the light shown on the water, how the water in whitewater rivers moved, the sounds, the smells.... and the companionship of the people who, like me, loved the rivers. Some of those people became friends, and some of them died while kayaking.

But a couple of years ago, something sifted in me. I became very distressed over the fact that my country was headed to war with Iraq. I never liked the wars this country engaged in before that: it always seemed (to my logical mind) that war created as many problems as it solved.... and in the process, caused a great number of innocent people suffer greatly. But what really pushed me here was the CLEAR fact that Bush & company wanted to launch a war against a country that was currently bothering no one. Indeed, was a threat to no one. I remember listening to Bush's speech in Cincinnati (my home town) on 10/07/02... and all I could think was "he's lying... he's lying.... he's lying." Sadly, other people could not see that. Nearly everything Bush said that day had no basis in fact, and since I knew some information about Iraq and what was going on there, I could see right through him.

I also realized that Saddam was a bad person, and he needed to be stopped from his human rights abuses. I realized he was not the worst leader out there committing human rights abuses. I felt that any and all other possible means of containing him needed to be tried, for long periods of time, before war even came up for discussion. Bush & company were willing to try nothing other than war. I knew the UN weapons inspectors would find no nuclear WMDs, and little biological or chemical WMDs (they found none).

But, I digress. I needed, at that point in my life, to be with people who felt and thought like I did. So, I started attending the Asheville Friends Meeting (Quakers). I had gone to meetings before on occasion, and the real thing that kept me from regular attendance was the feeling that I would feel compelled to get more involved in social justice issues and peace work (although I didn't really have an understanding of what "peace work" was at the time). I was very busy keeping myself entertained and enriched by going away on weekends to kayak.... and that particular sport takes a lot of time to pursue and maintain skills (and not maintaining skills is really not an option - if you want to stay alive!). But, finally, I just needed to be with those people in meeting. I needed to talk to them, be with them, and learn from them. I needed to move towards doing "peace work" all the time.... indeed, I realized that if I didn't, who will? There is more that needs to be done than there is time available to do! So many outrages, so little time. And, now, kayaking is not so important... but I sometimes miss the connection to nature.

One of the many things I feel I was "called" to do was to honor and mark the Iraqi civilian casualties from this war. I have been following this on the internet for some time, and the best collection of the names of these victims is through the work of CIVIC (sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee) and Raed Jarrar (an Iraqi blogger now in Amman). He posted these names on his website. Also, Iraq Body Count made a combined list of their names and the names collected by CIVIC. I printed up those lists of names, and placed them on five boards that measure 40 by 60 inches. It is just over 3,000 names. It is a small percentage of the total number of civilians killed. I will add to this as more names become available.

This past Sunday, I took this display to the Social Justice Committee at the Unitarian Universalist Church for them to look at and think about using. Then I took it to meeting for worship, and attended meeting. Late in the afternoon, I went to the peace vigil at All Souls Episcopal Church, and then took the display to their Peace Fellowship meeting. They have these meetings once a month, and they are very thoughtful and informative. They are also considering how to use the display.

And that is the very long-winded story of how I went from unchurched for 30 years to 3 churches in one day. I remember a friend of mine saying (many years ago) that the people who go to church don't seem to be any better people than the ones who don't! And I told her that maybe they would be WORSE if they didn't go to church. I don't think going to meeting makes me better or worse: it just is something that I need to do for myself. And I always remember the spiritually found in nature, and that there are many, many paths to God.

I told one of the Iraqi bloggers that I attended Quaker meetings, and he wrote back: Quackers are my friends! I got quite a laugh out of that one.

And indeed we are Friends.

Letter to Senator Biden

Senator Biden wrote this in the WaPo:

"Can an Iraqi soldier or policeman do what we ask American soldiers to do -- provide law and order, protect the infrastructure, defend the borders and, above all, defeat the insurgency?"

Could someone please point out to Senator Biden that the American soldiers are not providing law and order in Iraq, did not protect the infrastructure, are not defending the borders.... and are totally failing to defeat the insurgency. In light of this, I recommend we let the available Iraqi troops take over immediately. They are part and parcel of the insurgency, so at least one problem will be solved right there. And I'll bet they figure out how to get the electricity back on, just like they did in 1991.

Iraq's biggest problem....... Saddam or USA interference? It's a toss-up. But then, Saddam would not have been as bad as he was if the US wasn't supporting him back in the 1980's. I hope Dr. Germ and Dr. Anthrax live to tell their tales...... of how the USA sent them the original supplies.

Susan

Further note: I should have called it the "resistance" not the "insurgency".

Feathers on the Wind

I picked up a song today, done by local musicians, on the tragedy at Peak's Cove this past September (a small tragedy compared to Iraq, but a tragedy none the less). When hurricane Ivan came through, there was a mudslide in western North Carolina that took 5 lives. This song is called "Feathers on the Wind" and is written by George Reeves and Lee Ladensack. It certainly brought a tear to my eye.

Here's a verse and chorus:

At the foot of Fish Hawk Mountain, in a holler called Peak's Cove,
Becky lit a candle off the pilot of her stove,
The strongest storm in years had knocked the power out that night.
So she held her child and they huddled round the light.
Becky's husband Brian was working late again,
Helping with the rescue squad, the calls kept pouring in.
Knowing that his pregnant wife and son were safe at home
He thought about the happy days to come, but.....

The thread of life is thin, it changes like the weather
We fly through time together, just like feathers on the wind
And only angels know how hard that wind will blow
or when the flight is coming to an end.

(Becky survived, but her son and unborn child did not.)

The Friends Peace Testimony

Quaker approaches to developing peace:
1. peace education and collaboration with other peace groups
2. public protests against war and violence
3. work camps -- became Peace Corps
4. support international, intergovernmental organizations
5. relief and rehabilitation at the close of conflicts
6. mediate between conflicting fractions
7. lobby to cut military spending and support the right of dissent
8. peace research and conflict resolution research
9. apply peaceful, nonviolent measures in the home
10. examine economic and social systems and work to resolve vast differences in the distribution of world's resources
11. cultivate "that of God" in every person


"in the silence, there is music waiting to be heard"


I summarized the above from a long article I read written by the Religious Society of Friends. I posted this for those who say that pacifists have nothing to say about how to solve problems in the world without war.

Short Movie from Am. Friends Service Committee

Last night, in the State of the Union address, President Bush painted a rosy picture about democracy and freedom in Iraq. The truth is not so simple. An estimated 100,000 Iraqis and more than 1400 U.S. soldiers have died in the unnecessary war, and the toll mounts daily. The presence of U.S. occupation forces has been -- and will continue to be -- a flashpoint for violence.

Today, as part of our growing Wage Peace Campaign, AFSC is launching a new movie that tells the truth about the ongoing loss of life in Iraq -- and encourages viewers to sign our petition to bring the troops home.

Click the link below to watch the movie [2 min]:

http://ga3.org/ct/W1AiSI718m29/wagepeace/

I think you'll be moved... and if you have friends who are on the fence about the war, this is something you will want to share with them. Please take a few moments to watch the movie, sign the petition, and then please forward the message to ten friends. This spring is a critical time to demonstrate the breadth and diversity of opposition to the war. Military families, veterans, people of faith, students and many others are now speaking out. The momentum is building. Together we can end this war.

Peace, Peter Lems
AFSC Iraq staff

Not Worth It

This is from Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Mother for Peace:

I was supposed to be on the Larry King Live show last night. I was asked to be on the show to offer my opinion on the election in Iraq from the perspective of a mom whose son was killed in the war prior to the elections. One of the questions I was going to be asked was: Do I think my son’s sacrifice was “worth it?” Well, I didn’t get a chance to be on the show last night, because I was bumped for something that is really important: The Michael Jackson Trial.

If I was allowed to go on Larry King Live last night and give my opinion about the elections and about my son’s sacrifice, this is what I would have told Mr. King and his viewers:

My son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan (KIA, Sadr City, 04/04/04) enlisted in the Army to protect America and give something back to our country. He didn’t enlist to be used and misused by a reckless Commander-in-Chief who sent his troops to preemptively attack and occupy a country that was no imminent threat (or any threat) to our country. Casey was sent to die in a war that was based on the imagination of some Neo-Cons who love to fill our lives with fear.

Casey didn’t agree with the “Mission” but being the courageous and honorable man that he was he knew he had to go to this mistake of a war to support his buddies. Casey also wondered aloud many times why precious troops and resources were being diverted from the real war on terror.

Casey was told that he would be welcomed to Iraq as a liberator with chocolates and rose petals strewn in front of his unarmored Humvee. He was in Iraq for two short weeks when the Shi’ite rebel “welcome wagon” welcomed him to Baghdad with bullets and RPG’s, which took his young and beautiful life. I think my son’s helmet and Viet Nam era flak jacket would have protected him better from the chocolates and flower petals.

Casey was killed after George Bush proclaimed “Mission Accomplished” on May 1, 2003…he was also killed after Saddam was captured in December of that same year. Casey was killed before the transfer of power in June of 2004 and before these elections. Four marines were tragically killed after the election, yesterday. By my count about five dozen Iraqis and coalition troops were killed on Election Day…is that the definition of “Catastrophic Success?” But is that a good day in Iraq? Hundreds of our young people and thousands of Iraqis have been needlessly and senselessly murdered since George Bush triumphantly announced an end to “major combat” almost 2 years ago now. All of the above events have been heralded by this administration as “turning points” in the “war on terror”…or as wonderful events in the “march of democracy.” Really? I don’t think, judging by very recent history, that the elections will stop the bloodshed and destruction.

I would have asked Mr. King if he would want to sacrifice one of his children for sham elections in Iraq. Would he or George Bush send their children to be killed, or maimed for life, for a series of lies, mistakes and miscalculations? Now that every lie has been exposed to the light for the invasion and occupation of Iraq….why are our sons and daughters still there? NOT ONE MORE DROP OF BLOOD SHOULD BE SPILLED FOR THIS PACK OF LIES.

This war was sold to the American people by a slimy leadership with a maniacal zeal and phony sincerity that would have impressed snake oil salesmen a century ago. The average American needs to hear from people who have been devastated by the arrogance and ignorance of an administration that doesn’t even have the decency or compassion to sign our “death” letters.

In the interest of being “fair and balanced” (oops, wrong network), I would have been pitted against a parent who still agrees with the “Mission” and the President. Although, I grieve for that parent’s loss and I respect that parent’s opinion, I would have defied Mr. King, or that parent to explain the “Mission” to me. I don’t think anyone can do it with a straight face. The President has also stated that we need to keep our troops in Iraq to honor our sacrifices by completing this elusive and ever changing “Mission.” My response to him is “Just because it is too late for Casey and the Sheehan family, why would we want another innocent life taken, in the name of this chameleon of a “Mission?”

Well, I was bumped from the show anyway. Now that Scott Peterson has been convicted and sentenced for his crimes and Laci and Connor’s families have the justice they deserve, we have the new “trial of the century” to keep our minds off of the nasty and annoying fact that we are waging an immoral war in Iraq. We can fill our TV screens and homes with the glorified images of the Michael Jackson molestation trial. We can fill our lives with outrage over MJ’s victims and hope they get justice; not even questioning the fact that George Bush, his dishonest cabinet, and their misguided policies aren’t even brought to the court of public opinion. We won’t have to confront ourselves with the fact that the leaders of our country and their lies are responsible for the deaths of 1438 brave Americans…tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis…and the loss of our Nation’s credibility throughout the world. That might mean we would have to turn off our television sets and do something about it.

Oh yeah. In answer to the original question Larry: No it wasn’t worth it!!

Cindy SheehanMother of Hero: Spc Casey Austin Sheehan KIA 04/04/04

Casey's Peace Page

Co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace: www.GSFP.org

Article: What I Heard About Iraq

This is a very long article of quotes from various people who proposed making war on Iraq. It is well worth reading and keeping for future reference:


http://www.lrb.co.uk/v27/n03/wein01_.html

A clip:

In 1992, a year after the first Gulf War, I heard Dick Cheney, then secretary of defense, say that the US had been wise not to invade Baghdad and get ‘bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq’. I heard him say: ‘The question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth? And the answer is: not that damned many.’

In February 2001, I heard Colin Powell say that Saddam Hussein ‘has not developed any significant capability with respect to weapons of mass destruction. He is unable to project conventional power against his neighbours.’

That same month, I heard that a CIA report stated: ‘We do not have any direct evidence that Iraq has used the period since Desert Fox to reconstitute its weapons of mass destruction programmes.’

Iraqi elections

The Iraqi elections were held yesterday, and I am glad they went as well as they did. It was mainly peaceful, and the Iraqi people really inspired me in how they faced danger and possible death in order to go vote.

I hope this vote brings the country closer to real freedom, especially freedom from want and fear.

I don't think it will happen any time soon, however. This month is the third deadliest month for US and Coalition forces since the war started. We have no idea how many Iraqis have been killed, since an accurate count is not made (that speaks volumes). We do know the Iraqi people are suffering greatly, and yesterday they took a first step in a long journey to finding their own way. I hope the elections result in good leadership, and I hope the elections are honest and fair (which I suspect a lot of the recent US election was not) and do not turn out to be a sham.

And long live the brave Iraqi people!

Turning another corner

"President Bush says Sunday's election in Iraq marks a turning point in that country's history."

Yet again, we are being told that Iraq is turning another corner...... well, you turn a lot of corners when you are walking around lost in a maze.

Heaven help the Iraqi people.

Elections in Iraq

Rumsfeld told us, just after the fall of Baghdad, that the violence was a few dead enders. Once we collected up those "deck of cards" criminals, all would be well. It got worse. Then they blamed it on Saddam loyalists, and predicted once Saddam was caught, it would get better. It got worse. Then they said that once power is handed over to the Iraqi's own government last June, the violence and insecurity would get better. It got worse. Then they claimed that if they went into Fallujah and "cleaned that up", it would get better there in Iraq, and the insurgents would go away, because we took away their base of operations. It got worse. Now, they are touting this election tomorrow as the doorway to "democracy"... in spite of the fact that most Iraqis will not vote, either because of the violence or because they do not seen the election as legitimate. They are claiming (now) that the violence may continue for awhile, but things will get better. It will not. It will get worse. This election is a sham.

I can't help but wondering something... if the US authorities (Rumsfeld, Powell, Franks, and the Bush administration) had acted like they cared a little bit about the Iraqi people... if things might have gone better. Like, you know, saying torturing people is wrong, killing people is wrong.... but then, hey, the whole idea of war is wrong, so that would have been stupid, I guess. But the fact that they made NO ATTEMPT to ever count the Iraqis who were hurt or killed does speak volumes, does it not?

I care about Iraqis. They do not.

The Dangerous Gold Star Families

This was written by Cindy Sheehan:

Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld continues to astound us Gold Star Families with his heartlessness, callousness and disrespect in the faces of our children who are being killed in the mindless invasion and occupation of Iraq.

I am one of the founding members of a group called Gold Star Families for Peace. Some of us families who have lost loved ones in this illegal and immoral war in Iraq have organized to use our collective voices to bring the tragedy of war to the fore front of America’s hearts and souls like it so tragically is in ours. We families are amazed that so few of our fellow citizens are touched by the horrors of the invasion and occupation of a sovereign country. It seems to us like the only people who are asked to sacrifice anything for the war effort are our brave young men and women fighting this so-called war and their families. There are some families in our nation like us, that have paid the ultimate price for the lies and betrayals of this current administration.

I, and some other Gold Star Families, have been writing and calling the Department of Defense for over three weeks. We were all meeting in DC to protest the inauguration and we thought it would be a good time to meet with Donald Rumsfeld. We have many questions to ask him about our loved ones’ deaths and we deserve to have some answers. I think it is our right as Americans and grieving families to have these answers. For example, why were the children of this country sent to fight a war without the proper training, equipment or armor? Why were our children sent to fight a war that had no basis in reality? Why are American children still over there fighting a war, and dying in a war, when all the reasons for the war have been proven false? When is this administration going to bring the rest of our children home before it’s too late for their families?

If we were granted an audience with him, we didn’t really expect Mr. Rumsfeld to be truthful with us or even polite to us considering his past history of being so sarcastically untruthful and blatantly rude. The real reason I wanted to meet with Rumsfeld was so he could see the face of my son, Spc Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Sadr City on 04/04/04. I wanted him to look me in the face and see my red swollen eyes and to see all the lines that grief has etched. I wanted him to see the unbearable pain his ignorance and arrogance has caused me and my family. I wanted him to know that his actions have terrible consequences.

Our letters, phone calls, faxes, and e-mails to the Pentagon were to no avail: we received no response. So in conjunction with Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) we decided to go to the Pentagon and try and meet with someone, anyone. We were met at the parking lot by a couple of dozen of police officers blocking our way. We were told that we weren’t allowed to go into the Pentagon because we didn’t go through the proper protocol to request a meeting!!

I find it so ironic that with all the tight security for the events in DC this week that enough time and energy was mustered to stop families in mourning so forcefully at the Pentagon. I also find it ironic that if I were a wealthy Republican who had donated large sums of money for the “re”-election of the President, I could have had access to all the big wigs at the lavish parties…but I, whose son paid the ultimate price of his precious life to this country, can’t even get within a half of a mile from the man who sent him to die.

We Gold Star Families for Peace are not giving up the fight to hold someone in this administration accountable for the quagmire in Iraq and the more important struggle to bring the rest of our children home from this devastating occupation now. It takes most of our energy just to get out of our beds in the morning and mourn our horrific losses. We need all Americans to wake up and start lobbying their elected officials for an end to this immorality in Iraq and to join our voices in protest.

Gold Star Families for Peace: www.GSFP.org

Sad Day for America

Today, 37 more Americans died in Iraq. One of the people who helped start this war on totally false pretenses, Ms. Rice, gets promoted to Secretary of State. How pathetic.

I got the post below from someone who lost her son in the war on Iraq. I totally support withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. My reason for doing so stem from my belief that the US military is a destabilizing force in Iraq, and is indeed, only making the situation there worse.


Send Congresswoman Schakowsky your immediate support for her actions!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nadeam Elshami
January 24, 2005 202/226-6903 or 703/869-9020 (Cell Phone)
nadeam.elshami@mail.house.gov

Schakowsky on U.S. Troops in Iraq:
"It is time for our soldiers to start the journey home."


CHICAGO, IL - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today released the following statement on U.S. soldiers deployed in Iraq:

"The time has come for the United States to withdraw our troops from the battlefield of a war that should never have been waged. There was no real justification for sending our brave young men a women to fight in Iraq, and there is even less reason to keep them there now to die in ever increasing numbers.

"Under false pretenses, the Bush Administration took our nation to war against a country that did not pose imminent threat to our security. In Iraq today, over 1,300 U.S. soldiers and an estimated 100,000 civilians are dead. This war is costing an average of $1.6 billion taxpayer dollars every week, while the mission remains vague, the troops overstretched and under-armored, friendly Iraqis chafe at our presence and unfriendly Iraqis bomb our convoys and enclaves. Neither democracy in Iraq nor security at home has been achieved. Instead, Iraq has become, in a gruesome self-fulfilling prophecy, the ground zero for terrorism that it was not when President Bush chose to invade.

"There are those who argue that the U.S. is obligated to 'fix' Iraq now that we have broken it. Unfortunately, the Administration has left us with no good options whatsoever. The worst choice, however, would be to continue to do more of the same, and watch the body count grow. It is clear that for stability to replace chaos, a political and not a military resolution is required.

"A political process has begun, admittedly fragile, and it is time for the United States to leave. Once the January 30 elections are concluded, the new Iraqi government takes responsibility for forging its own path toward stability and democracy. The U.S. should provide financial and material assistance for that effort and encourage the international community to help.

"The results may not be what the President envisioned or anyone wanted. Some experts warn of civil war. Many worry for the Christian community and for the women. These are very real concerns that, sadly, weren't even considered when the U.S. invaded, and even after 'mission accomplished' was declared by President Bush. We should do what we can diplomatically to address vulnerable populations, yet, as long as U.S. forces are on the ground, a lasting peace and stable Iraq cannot be achieved. All of us care deeply about our brave soldiers who are doing the very best they can under near impossible conditions. It is time to bring them home."

###



Leslie Combs
District Director
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
5533 N. Broadway, Chicago IL 60640
phone: 773-506-7100 fax: 773-506-9202
leslie.combs@mail.house.gov
www.house.gov/schakowsky

Op-Ed in local paper

Progressive Americans disgusted at White House use of media as propaganda tools

By Susan Oehler
January 25, 2005 6:00 am
I have to admit I got a real laugh out of the Asheville Citizen-Times editorial pages of Saturday, Jan. 8. Under the headline "Fake news coupled with deception is a disgraceful use of taxpayers' money," (AC-T, Jan. 8), written by the editors, this comment was made: "The newspaper reported Williams, one of those modern media creations who appears in print and is omnipresent on radio and television, is being paid by the Bush administration to the tune of $240,000 to promote the No Child Left Behind program."

No, that wasn't funny.It was sad to read that the Bush administration is using our tax money to underhandedly promote a program.One would think if the program was a good idea, then it would stand on its own merits, without this propaganda paid for by U.S. taxpayers. I agree with the Asheville Citizen-Times: we, the taxpayers should end this immediately, and we should be refunded the money handed over to this propaganda attempt.

The laugh came when I read Bill O'Reilly's syndicated column, "Right-thinking Americans hope for democracy in Iraq and easing of ridiculous culture wars at home," which had this statement: "The big difference, however, is that conservatives don't have access to the elite media, and progressives do." Well, I guess that makes President Bush a progressive instead of a conservative then. That's sure news to me. O'Reilly goes on to claim he is a "warrior" in the culture war whereas so-called progressives, who (combined with the ACLU) are out to get all good conservatives. Well, thank goodness, the progressives are not in power and using our tax dollars for these propagandistic ends. We are attempting to correct falsehoods in our media whenever we can however, - and O'Reilly presents a lot of them.

O'Reilly goes on to present in his column some of his other ideas that are truly divorced from reality. One of the most dangerous and misguided ones is the idea that "some" Americans are not hoping for a positive outcome in Iraq. I imagine that everyone hopes, and wants, Iraq to turn out to be peaceful and democratic. People who are liberal or progressive are also hoping for these outcomes, no matter how much we opposed starting this war. We want to see the violence come to an end, and our troops come home safe.

It's just that we don't think democracy can be delivered by bombs and bullets, and we think the overall Bush administration policies are the main cause of the mayhem and chaos in that country. As a matter of fact, just as we suspected there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and no connection between Saddam and Sept. 11, 2001, we today suspect that the Bush administration's real motives and objectives are not in the best interests of the Iraqi people.
We don't feel their objectives are in the best interests of ordinary Americans either. We feel our troops are being misused and mistreated on many occasions.

O'Reilly claims that it is "disgraceful that so many in the free world cannot put aside political differences and help the U.S. defeat the brutal villains who are creating mayhem." In the eyes of a lot of people in the world, it is the Bush administration policies that are creating mayhem in Iraq and allowing a climate of terrorism to flourish. I personally wonder if Bush failed to plan in Iraq, or if he planned for Iraq to fail. Many of us, but not all, therefore advocate that the U.S. get out of Iraq now, and the country be turned over to the Iraqi people, with U.N. or NATO troops to provide security, if needed. We feel this administration's policies are quite unhelpful to providing peace and security in this area of the world.

The WNC Peace Coalition is holding an organizational meeting to plan an event for the second anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. The organizational meeting will be tonight, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. It will be held at the Asheville Friends Meeting house at 227 Edgewood Road. If you are interested in finding a peaceful solution to world problems and think this war in Iraq is not going well, then you are invited to attend.

And back to the original topic: I would like to see an end to the U.S. government using our media as propaganda tools, especially when paid for by U.S. taxpayers. This has already happened with the No Child Left Behind and with the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, and probably other Bush administration programs also. I would further like to see TV pundits stop attacking people who hold different positions on the issues, and instead listen to and try to understand their positions.


PS: We had a very sucessful meetin of the WNC Peace Coalition tonight. We are going to organize buses to Fayetteville, NC for the MARCH 19th protest, and we are going to have a protest on March 20th here in Asheville.

Saturday at the PDA

On this past Saturday, January 22, I went back to the Progressive Democrats of America conference. There were about 500 people there. There was also a significant winter storm warning and lots of snow predicted. And snow it did, later in the day. The university was totally shut down except for this conference. It was shut before on snowflake fell.

This morning there were some excellent speakers. Jim Zogby (Arab American Institute) spoke well on the situation in Iraq and encouraged us to keep the pressure on our leaders. William Rivers Pitt (www.truthout.org) on getting the message out to the people, as did Jeff Cohen (www.fair.org) . Our mainstream US "news" is just pitiful. One question asked: If we had a state media here in this country, how would it have been any different (in the run up to the Iraq war)?

I really enjoyed hearing Medea Benjamin (Code Pink) and her excellent adventures on inauguration day, Amy Goodman (www.democracynow.org) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. I also really enjoyed David Cobb (Green party), and appreciate him for going after the Ohio vote count. Cobb said he sill not hold his nose and vote for someone who is the "lesser of two evils' again. Neither will I. Kerry is pitiful in how he didn't show any backbone in the Ohio voting scandal.

I had to leave to catch a flight home (it took almost 10 hours to get home) just when they were starting "Organizing Spiritual Communities to Heal a Divided Nation". I think that might have been interesting, so I'm sorry I missed it.

Gold Star Families

My heart has been heavy all day, just from the after effects of the week in DC. The image that sticks in my mind more than any other is the stretch limos driving by (endlessly, it seemed) as the names of the dead Americans and dead Iraqi were read on the steps of the National City Christian Church. I received a link to the following article from one of the mothers who belongs to the Gold Star Families, and this article sums up what I also have as a lasting reminder of the inauguration. Here is a bit of the article from the LA Times:

Mothers Mourn as the Elite Party On - by Steve Lopez

"The first mom I spoke to by phone Thursday morning was Celeste Zappala, whose sons used to hang around with my boys now and then in Philadelphia. Zappala was in Washington for President Bush's inaugural, demonstrating against the war that took her eldest boy. "I'm at Foundry United Methodist Church, where I just spoke about the cost of war," said Zappala, who carried a poster-size photo of her son, Sherwood Baker. Baker, a 30-year-old National Guardsman, was killed April 26 last year while searching for weapons of mass destruction. Baker, a husband and father, had gone to Iraq with a walkie-talkie and navigational device his family bought for him because they were not provided by the military."

And a bit on Cindy, who sent me the link:

"My son was regular Army, enlisted," said Sheehan, a full-time mom married to a hardware salesman. "We didn't want him to enlist, but he was 21 and it was something he wanted to do — to serve his country. He was always into service as an Eagle Scout, an altar boy." And yet Casey, her son, was against this war. "He didn't think it was a just war…. He didn't see Iraq as an imminent threat to the United States … but he felt he had a duty and a loyalty to his buddies. He told me he had to support his buddies by doing this job, and he told me, 'Mom, the sooner I go, the sooner I'll be home.' "

here's a link to the full article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez21jan21,0,934743.column?coll=la-home-utilities

Friday and the PDA

Today, I went back to EYES WIDE OPEN to help break it down and pack it up. I decided to go and collect the children's shoes and keep them separate from the adults (at least, most of them). I filled up three large bags of children's shoes. There were some press there today, including some TV announcers and someone from AFP (that is the French press, but I forget the spelling of the first part of their name). The AFP guy took pictures of me loading up the shoes, but he mostly took pictures of the baby shoes while I was holding them. He asked for my name and what I was doing in DC and why I was there. Who knows what will come of it, but I hope more information about this exhibit (and the reasons behind it) get out to the general public. Maybe more people will start to think about this war.

Putting on this exhibit is a lot of work. Just setting it up takes 40 -50 people. I commend American Friends Service Committee for doing this. It is a worthwhile task. I hope to bring it to Asheville.

After this, I went to the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) conference. Golly, those folks are disorganized. I often wonder (when I am involved with the Progressive Democrats) if we can truly change the Democratic party here in the USA. It seems like they are just "Republican lite". I often say Clinton was the best Republican president we ever had.

Two really good experiences at this conference today was hearing Tom Hayden speak on ideas to promote getting our troops out of Iraq, and going to a discussion on blogging! This discussion was on how to promote your blog, and how to use blogs for sharing information, resources, and organizing for political reasons. I have some notes on how to connect my blog to other progressive blogs, and I think I will do this later....... I say "I think I will" because I am not totally sure I want my blog to be widely read.

But I do hope this blog promotes progressive values and peace, and an end to the war in Iraq. And I hope you, dear reader, do too. Thanks for reading.

War is costly. Peace is priceless.

Memorial for the dead of the war on Iraq

After the counter inaugural, Linda and I had lunch, then we went to the EYES WIDE OPEN exhibit at the National City Christian Church. This was the second day I worked on the exhibit. I worked behind the table at the entrance, and spent a fair amount of time trying to straighten out the tee shirts and find the right sizes for people, and answering questions. The tee shirts had the slogan "War is costly" on the front and "Peace is priceless" on the back.

We moved some of the soldier's boots to the front steps of the church, and placed candles besides them. We handed out candles to the people gathered. Several parents of soldiers killed in Iraq spoke about their attempts to talk to Rumsfeld that day, and about their pain and loss over this war. They spoke of the senselessness of this war. While they spoke, I kept relighting the candles. I felt it was important that they be lit. I got to meet Cindy Sheehan, whom I had emailed several times over the past few weeks (her son Casey died in Iraq). Amy Goodman was there to interview the families. As they spoke, stretch limo after stretch limo after stretch limo drove by the memorial. One of the speakers commented on this... how these people are here in DC to party and live it up, while they are totally oblivious to the pain this president's policies have brought.

After the military families spoke, we started reading the names of the American troops and Iraqi civilians who have been killed in this war. The people who were doing the readings were planned in advance, but they could not find them in time, so I got to read the names of the US troops from Arizona. I did the best I could with some of the names (some I didn't know how to pronounce) but the common English and Spanish names I had no trouble with, and I acted confident on the pronunciation of the non-typical names. I read out their ages too.... age 19, age 20, age 26, age 21, age 19, .... my God, they were so young. And again, limo after limo after limo drove by.... endlessly, it seemed. Some Americans have so much wealth, and no hesitation about spending on frivolous things on themselves, while others suffer so much. And they are blind to this reality.

Then I went back to lighting the candles that had been blown out by the wind. This reminded me of the last antiwar protest before the war started. It was on Sunday evening in March, and it was a prayer vigil. I remember standing at Vance Monument and singing "Give Peace a Chance" and relighting the candles. I remember at that point in time listening to the song "Lay Down Candles in the Rain".... and feeling it was so hopeless to stop this madness.

Now, almost two years later, I mark the deaths of the US troops and the innocent Iraqis in this war. And I listen to, and cry with, the US parents who lost their young children forever..... while those children were only trying to serve their country. They were misled and misused by the current administration.

It brings tears to my eyes, as I continue to lay down candles in the rain. The rain is the tears of those who lost their loved ones.

Counter - Inaugural

The day started early, and five of us piled into a cab to head over to Malcolm X park (called Meridian Hill Park on the maps) for the Counter - Inaugural rally. Caroline, Elizabeth, Linda, Carol and me (Susan) all went together to this rally and parade. The interesting thing was that each of us came to DC to protest from various places in the US, but we all came separately. We were all staying (or for one person, working) at the Wm. Penn House, a Quaker hostel in DC.

Elizabeth came from Santa Fe, NM and she said she was marching so that she could tell her grandkids that she stood against the Bush administration. Linda, from Bloomington, came to protest the war and the cuts in social services and the damage being done to the environment. She said all we get is war and more war. Caroline is from Little Switzerland, in NC. She was in the parade because she felt that she should act on her conscience, and object to today's (events) even if it was just a symbolic gesture. Carol, from Silver City, NM. She came to the parade/rally because she wanted to do something about all the injustices in the world today. I came to protest the war, which I feel is immoral, illegal and oh-so-breathtakingly stupid.

Some of the signs said "arms are for hugging" and "Newsflash Mr. Bush: we are not all Christians" and "No pride in war, genocide and torture" and "We the people want to live in a world where all life is respected" and "Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be maintained by understanding- Albert Einstein." My sign said "War is Not the Answer". Other signs said "as long as we see enemies, we will be seen as enemies" and "Not my president" and "Greed + Ego + Fear = War" and "Draft Jenna and Barbara" and "Looking for a Leader I can trust" and "Guilty of war crimes". One of the slogans chanted was "troops out - NOW!"

This rally was disappointingly small, but it had a few good speakers... like Granny D. They also had some folks selling of buttons, shirts, and passing out literature. I had received word (via email) of "Protest Warriors" who were really Bush supporters who were going to disrupt the rally and parade, but we could not identify anyone who was doing that.

The biggest problem we faced in the parade was cigarette smoke - which drove us crazy.

The parade got started about 10:30, and the sun came out and things warmed up some. As we walked away from the park, the parade grew and grew. There were thousands in the streets, all carrying signs and chanting. It was great. Linda and I stopped at a hotel to use the restrooms, and we picked one with cops every three feet in front of this hotel. They made us leave our signs at the doors. The cops were from Maryland, and I asked one of them how come they ended up there, and the cop said they got lost. I told them they should have asked for directions! Men never ask for directions!

The parade formally ended at Meridian Park, which is fairly close to the National City Christian Church where the exhibit Eyes Wide Open was being shown. There were people hanging around, and some of the local side streets were blocked to cars by buses parked sideways. Some of the protestors went on to the inaugural route to protest some more, and some went on to a die-in. Linda and I went to eat lunch, since we were cold and worn out. All in all, I felt pretty good about being there, but I didn't want to even see Mr. Bush or tangle with police.

I am hoping brainshrub sends me an email of his experiences during the counter inaugural, which were very different than mine.

Snowy Day

Today was a beautiful snowy day in DC, and quite cold too. It rather made me want to stay inside, but I went to the Eyes Wide Open exhibit at the National City Christian Church. I spent most of my time there tying together the civilian shoes so that they stay with their mates. I used safety pins and ties for this also. I got my shoes back! I rather thought I would.

On the way back to the Wm. Penn House, I saw fireworks. I cannot believe that people are celebrating this inaugural, it strikes me as the saddest day of our countries history. Bush said yesterday to some troops "More will be asked of you". I guess that means more war.

Tomorrow is the counter-inaugeral, and I am going with Linda and Caroline from the Wm. Penn House. It is supposed to be cold again. Then I am going back to Eyes Wide Open to listen to the speakers and stay for the candle service.

I am very sad about the direction my country is headed.

I carry a concern

I carry a concern, a very deep concern for the Iraqi civilian casualties of this war in Iraq. Today I went to visit my US Senators to talk to them of my concern. I took with me a printout of Raed Jarrar's Iraqi Civilian Casualties Report. It is a 63 page printout of the names of the people who were killed by US forces in the first couple of months of the war (before it really got bad). I had printed this up so the youngest ones were first on the list. The first page of names is all babies under one year of age. It lists their names, ages, towns, cause of death and date of death. I also had with me a postcard announcing the upcoming "EYES WIDE OPEN" exhibit at the National City Christian Church later this week. I had also printed up a story on the "Salvadorian Option" and how this idea is evil. I carried a quote from Senator Lindsay Graham (SC-R) that he spoke to Mr. Gonzales.

I got very lucky. I got on the elevator in the Dirkson Building to go see Senator Burr, and he got on the elevator with me. I gave him the top sheet of the packet of information (I left the entire packet with his office staff) and I had a good 3-4 minutes to tell him of my concerns about the Iraqi civilians and what they are suffering. I expressed how I think this war is wrong, and the use of torture makes us the moral equivalent of the terrorists. I told him how I would rather die from a terrorist attack than see my country engage in immoral actions (which they are doing). I told him how I feel I am being immoral when I pay my taxes. I feel I am contributing to evil. Senator Burr disagreed with me over what Senator Graham actually said to Mr. Gonzales, and one of his staff told me her brother is in the military in Baghdad, and he feels it is hard, but it is worth it. I was nearly in tears over all this concern I was expressing, but when I left the office, Senator Burr still had the sheet of paper (with the names of the Iraqi babies who had been killed) in his hand.

I think it was a success, at least to let him know that I am aware of what the Iraqi people are going through, and that I care about that a great deal.

Next I went to Senator Dole's office, and I talked to a receptionist there. She was very nice, but there were lots of people around, and Senator Dole was nowhere to be seen. I left my papers with the receptionist. I also visited Senator Graham's office to say thanks for confronting Mr. Gonzales. Someday, I will have to blog on what that Senator said.

I guess it would be redundant to say that I see my country on a very immoral course of action.... detaining people without charges, abuse, torture, murder, rape, optional war.... and not one of the higher ups ever gets punished.

I also went today to the Seawell-Belmont House, which is where the National Women's Party was founded and organized. I learn a lot about women working to get the vote (it took them forever! many of them died before they could legally vote.) and about the work done on the Equal Rights Amendment, which has still not be included in our constitution. I rather felt that maybe I should have worked harder on those issues back in the 70's and 80's.

But today, we have even more serious issues. Our country and our leaders seem to be hell-bent on starting a world war, based mostly in the middle east. Not only is war wrong and evil, we will also lose this war (we have already lost in Iraq).

So, should I pay my taxes and commit an immoral act, or should I not pay my taxes and get into big legal trouble and lose my job? I guess I will one day resolve this dilemma by moving to Canada.

I lost my shoes

This was a cold, cold day in DC... so cold they cancelled the MLK parade. I went to the museums, and counted 10 men preparing to spend the night out in the cold. They had beds all set up, and some of them had wool blankets, some had sleeping bags. They were mostly by the EPA building, near the Federal Triangle Metro stop. After spending some time at the Natural History museum, I went over to the National Cathedral to help take down the EYES WIDE OPEN exhibit. I was helping pack up the civilian shoes and the lists of civilian names. I got pretty hot doing this work, and took off a couple of layers. After all the shoes were in the bag, I took off my shoes and left them by my coat and extra layers..... and someone picked them up and put them into one of the 40 or so bags full of civilians clothes! Talk about looking for a needle in a haystack! Well, we didn't even try to look for my shoes. I just adopted some other shoes, which are way too big, but I will return them this week when I got to the next exhibit of EYES WIDE OPEN at the National City Christian Church. I thought it was pretty funny, but I didn't want to take the metro home in my socks when it is 15 degrees outside. I think I will find my shoes later this week, although the fact that there are black will make it difficult. Most of the shoes there are black.

The event at the National Cathedral was called SOUL FORCE, and it included EYES WIDE OPEN and several other events to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and to promote peace in the world, in ourselves and in our community.

Here is a quote from MLK: "We must find an alternative to bloodshed" and one of my favorites: "Violence is self-defeating". And here are some highlights from the program today at the National Cathedral (an amazingly beautiful building, but quite excessive, in my opinion):

"Siyahamba"
(Zulu Song from South Africa)
Siyahamb'a kooka nyenih kwenkos!
We are marching in the light of God!

"We Must Dream"
(Lyrics and Music by James Selway)
Last verse:
We will dream of a world safe for children,
We will dream ev'ry child can be free.
Free to sleep in peace at night,
Free to wake with joy in the light.
Free to play, to dance and to sing,
Free to let their laughter ring.

"Al Shlosha"
(Text from Pirkei Avot - Jewish Morality Laws)
Al shlosha, d'varim haolam kayam,
Al haemet v'al hadin, v'al hashalom
The world is sustained by three things,
By truth, by justice and by peace.

DC so far...

Airports
Going through security, you have to take off your shoes (boots, in my case), coats, sweaters, and any jewelry (I don't wear any)...plus you have to take your notebook computer out of your case. It takes several minutes to get everything back on or put away. I guess I'm not on the "no fly" list yet, since I had no troubles with that. A connecting flight was cancelled, so I spent lots of time reading in an airport on Saturday, and got in to the Wm. Penn House after dark. I was exhausted, and I'm wondering if dragging around this computer was a good idea.

Wm. Penn House
This is a Quaker house, and overall I like it. It is rather rustic, but clean and the folks are friendly and interesting. Staying in a hostel like this really gives you the chance to meet some new and interesting folks. Only problem is... it is very cold outside, and I am very cold even when sleeping. I guess I am used to lots of heat, and I miss the electric blanket!

Nonviolent Resistance Training
A local DC group held this training yesterday, and I learned a few things...... like I think violence of any form is wrong in nearly all situations, but if I saw someone kicking a dog, I would step in and physically try to stop them.......and maybe escalate the situation. And I don't even like dogs! Imagine if it was a child getting beat on! The people running the program said at one point there were undercover cops there, and I immediately suggested we play "out the cop". They thought that was an exceedingly bad idea. I still think it would have been fun. I think I know who the cop was, too.

Eyes Wide Open
I went to help set up this exhibit, and it is a ton of work unpacking 1300+ pairs of boots, and then separating them by state. The states are in alphabetical order, and you can imagine how that gets to be a mess pretty quick when you don't allocate enough space per state (some have had more fatalities than others). They also have thousands of regular shoes to represent the Iraqi civilians who died. Some even have names attached to them. These are set up in no particular order, so it is easier to do. I put the children's shoes up front. A lot of the shoes are missing their mate, so I tried to match them up. Some of the shoes are for newborns........

It was reading the stories on the display boards that made me cry though.

I go back this evening to break down this exhibit. I'm going to the museums this afternoon, and I hope I can get this computer/internet connection to work... I was having trouble with that yesterday. (guess I got it to work!)

Onward to DC

Tomorrow, I fly to DC. It will be the first time on a plane for me in almost 5 years. Mostly, that is because I just want to stay home, and secondly because of all the fuel it wastes to fly somewhere.... and because oil is the basis of a lot of conflict in the world, and the source of a lot of pollution. But I feel this trip is important enough to overcome these objections. I don't know what all the new airport "security" feels like. I heard you have to take off your shoes, and that strikes me as rather stupid. Hope the guy behind me does not have smelly feet.

I am going to DC to do my real work in life at this time: to protest the Iraq war. I believe this war is immoral, illegal and oh-so-breathtakingly-stupid. I believe Iraq is on fire, and the US troops there are fuel to the fire. I believe with every Iraqi civilian the US troops kill (accidentally or not) makes 10 new "insurgents". I believe a lot of the terrorists in Iraq right now are there because of US troops. That is not fair to the Iraqi people or even our troops.

I will be protesting on several days, and working for the EYES WIDE OPEN exhibit on several days. (more information on that exhibit at www.afsc.org ) If you have not signed the American Friends Service Committee petition to remove US troops from Iraq, please go to that website and do so!

Here are some words from Martin Luther King, Jr.:

'I still believe that we shall overcome'

Martin Luther King Jr. accepts the Nobel prize for Peace on Dec. 10, 1964. An excerpt:

I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.... I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent, redemptive goodwill will be proclaimed the rule of the land....


I still believe that we shall overcome....

And this next week, I will be acting full time in the struggle to overcome.

Peace. It's worth living for, and it is worth dying for..... it is not worth, nor can be achieved, by killing or violence..

This story touched my heart

US-IRAQ:Families of the Fallen Unite in Grief - And Anger
Dahr Jamail AMMAN, Jordan, Jan 11 (IPS) -

It has been nearly two years since Fernando Suarez del Solar's son Jesus, a lance corporal in the U.S. Marines, died during the invasion of Iraq. The father's grief is still fierce, but rather than succumbing to feelings of vengeance, he has chosen instead to bring medical aid to Iraqi children and speak out against what he believes is an unjust and ill-advised war.

Suarez has every right to be angry. He was initially told that his son, one of the first U.S. casualties, was killed by a gunshot to the head on Mar. 27, 2003. Later, Suarez was informed that his 20-year-old son was killed by a landmine. Still later, based on information confirmed by an ABC reporter embedded with Jesus' unit, Suarez learned that his son died from stepping on an unexploded cluster bomb, a weapon that many argue is illegal under the Geneva Conventions. ”This has given me a lesson that we can work together, no matter if we are Arab, Mexican or American,” Suarez told a meeting of the Arab Human Rights Association in Amman, Jordan late last month. ”The blood of our people who have died should serve to unite us against this corrupt government in the U.S.” While several Arab attendees nodded in agreement, Suarez added, ”I ask for the forgiveness in the name of my people, but this is not enough. We have to do something to end this.”

Laden with three bulging suitcases of medical supplies he collected in California, Suarez had come to Jordan with his wife on a mission to help Iraqis, particularly children, who are suffering and dying amidst the occupation. Sponsored by the human rights group Global Exchange and the Los Angles-based peace group, Code Pink, the delegation included members of two other families who lost loved ones in Iraq, as well as a woman who lost her son in the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Emotions ran high at a meeting between the delegation and Iraqis who have lost relatives to the violence, and many began crying, including Suarez, a native of Mexico who moved to the United States when Jesus was a teen. ”You have to understand that our children were forced to go to Iraq, they didn't want to go,” he said. ”Sometimes it is survival, but that doesn't justify that they don't help people, or that they abuse prisoners. Maybe the medicine we bring can help 100 children survive. But we are working to help the whole country survive.”

Later, at another meeting with Iraqi families, Suarez listened to the story of a sheikh -- a religious and community leader -- from Fallujah, who said his son-in-law had been executed by U.S. soldiers in his home the previous week. Asking to remain nameless for his own safety, the sheikh took great personal risks to travel to Amman to share his story. He said his son-in-law had been executed during a home raid, while his wife was in the next room. Later, the U.S. military informed the sheikh that they had mistakenly killed the wrong man.

”This man was killed last weekend,” the bearded sheikh said, holding up a photo of his dead son-in-law in one hand and a picture of two little girls in the other. ”These two kids will not see their father again.”

”This moment should be a lesson for us all. Let us say the truth for all the people. To the people whose presidents lied to them, and the media who helps them in their lies,” continued the sheikh.

After pausing to wipe his tears, Suarez took the opportunity to address the group. ”I understand we are united here in our grief,” he said, ”The pain of having lost a part of our lives...No matter what I say, your own suffering is not going to change. But we can hopefully avoid that other people suffer what we have suffered. Thank you for being together today, my brother, and you are all part of my family.”

For a moment nobody in the room could speak, until the sheikh added, ”Thank you for these words that come from the heart.”

”I am going to try to continue the campaign to bring medicine for Iraq,” Suarez told IPS near the end of his trip last week. ”This is important because the war is not going to stop today. The victims are increasing every single day. The Iraqi children need more help.”

It is estimated that the medical supplies and funding totaling 600,000 dollars brought in by Suarez and the delegation will bring relief to at least 10,000 Iraqis, the majority of them women and children in refugee camps along the border. He knows the bond of grief between himself and people like the sheikh is a touchstone for unity and action. ”When the Iraqi families listen to my story, hear that my son died, it opens their hearts and they give me a beautiful welcome,” he explained, ”The Iraqi families see that Americans cry too, that Americans have pain, and we are humans and they see this. It doesn't matter where we come from.” (END/2005)

Big Event Next Week

Motives for Rise Against Bush, Shine For A Peaceful Tomorrow actions:

We RISE
· Against the needless slaughter in and occupation of Iraq
· Against the assault on civil liberties, as represented by such acts as the Patriot Act and the immoral detentions at Guantanamo Bay
· Against US support of the Israeli government's denial of human rights against the Palestinian people
· Against U.S. overthrow of Aristide in Haiti
· Against U.S. attempts to overthrow any other democratically elected leader, including Hugo Chavez in Venezuela
· Against any U.S. military action in Iran.

We SHINE
· For a world that embraces peaceful dialogue instead of war
· For a world where we respect the liberty of all beings
· For a world that looks out for all those who are now oppressed, including the poor, women, racial minorities, workers, the disabled, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, as well as the earth and its creatures
· For a world that embraces social justice
· For democracy and the autonomy of all people to have a full say in how they are governed
· For each other.

I took the above from a emailing sent to me by the J20 Coalition. This is what they stand for, and this is what we will be demonstrating for.... A.N.S.W.E.R. is in need of $30,000 to pay for all the expenses connected with this event. If you have any money to give.... please donate.

And please sign the petition at www.afsc.org to request troops are removed from Iraq.

Violence on Haifa Street

Violence on Haifa Street
(incident happened on 9/12/04, Baghdad)

They had several excuses:
to retrieve injured comrades- except there were no such there.
to return ground fire- the film shows no arms, no fire.
to destroy sensitive equipment left behind- they hit civilians instead.

Blood on the camera lens.

Thirteen dead at the end of the day.
Scores injured. Their crimes: reporting, curiosity, celebration of knocked down Americans,
or just walking down the street.

All recorded on film this time-both moving and still-
all recorded by stories, straight from those on the scene.

Three more would die of injuries in the days to follow,
All unnamed, except for one-
a TV reporter, whose last report was "I'm dying! I'm dying!"

Broadcast live.
His final act as a journalist.
His final act as a human being.

Just sixteen more civilian casualties among the unreported tens of thousands.

The cameras know what happened.
The soldiers know what happened.
The people on Haifa Street know what happened.

Blood on the camera lens.
Blood on the street.

Earlier, US troops were injured there.
Anger and a thirst for revenge pulled the trigger.

But the real fault lies in the American government's policies.

Our troops are in a country where the people are not our enemy.

We are growing our own enemies.

We sow seeds of prejudice with our failures of intelligence.
We sow seeds of hatred with our failures of compassion.
We sow seeds of rage with our failures of decency.
We sow seeds of revenge with our failures of integrity.

Blood on the camera lens.
Blood on the street.
Blood on our hands.

Adrift at Sea

I've had the feeling for several days that America is adrift at sea... a sea of evil. In church this morning, people spoke of all our interconnectedness. I do feel that connection with other people, but I feel my government is totally adrift and totally disconnected.

These are some of the depressing incidents that happened this past week, brought to you by US government policies and actions:

• Seven US soldiers died in one sad KA-BOOM
• Iraqi insurgents killed another 100 people
• a US soldier got 6 months in prison and a demotion (that is all!) for forcing an Iraqi into the Tigris river last January. They decided this was only an assault. This Iraqi man drowned, per his family. His cousin writes a blog called "Healing Iraq".
• oh, and the commending officer of that unit told the soldiers what to say about the incident. And their stories changed several times.
• that entire incident would have never even been noticed if not for the fact that the dead man's cousin has a blog, and he got many people involved in the investigation. That's one small bright spot: several US officers demanded an investigation of the Iraqi man's death.
• in Mosul, the US forces bombed the wrong house. The US claims 5 "possibly innocent lives" were lost, but Iraqi people and the AP report 14 dead, seven of them children. They also have 14 graves to back up their claims.
• it is a war crime to bomb a residential area, no matter who is there, no matter why
• the "possibly innocent" claim is particularly evil: now the Iraqi people are "guilty until proven innocent", even if they are only sleeping inside their own homes
• also this week, the US forces killed 5 innocents (2 were Iraqi police)...(oh, and the Iraqi hospital says it was 8, not 5 dead people) after a roadside bomb went off. It is pretty well established that these were innocents killed, regardless
• FAUX news says the Americans killed 5 terrorists in "retaliation"
• US authorities say they can hold "terrorists" for life with no trial. Just because they can, I guess. Goodbye, rule of law.....
• plenty of stories of extravagant inaugural parties (why do people spend money so foolishly?)
• parts of Fallujah are being "resettled" even though they have no water, sewer, electricity, or (a lot of times) homes.... and over 700 bodies have been found. 550 are reported to be women and children.
• In Iraq, Sgt. Royd Nuckols, 30, of Folcroft, Pa., agreed: "I don't want my wife or my kids to know the stuff I've had to do or see."
• who knows what kind of shape Sgt. Nuckols will be in when he gets home.
• and the worst part of all is the Abu Gonzales thing. I'm not even going to comment on that, except I called Senator Graham (SC-R) to say thank you for speaking the truth.

The level of callousness, the level of hypocrisy, the level of true evil, is such as I have never seen before in my (almost) 50 years.

We are adrift, and seemingly without morals.

In today's local paper, a letter to the editor by a Mr. Britton said: "we are getting our red, white and blue rear-end kicked in Iraq" and for Iraqi people "democracy is found in a dictionary between damnation and devastation". I don't know this man, but he has a way with words.

I'm off to a peace vigil, one of three held ever week in Asheville. I will pray for some moral guidance for American leaders.

I don't know what I'm going to tell them

The comment above came from a man who returned to Fallujah to see what was left of his home and his families possessions. His home was mostly destroyed, and all their possessions, and the doll he retrieved for his little sister was missing a leg. This family had not been in their home for over two months, and they don't have a home now. He didn't know what he would tell his family. Per the news report, he had tears on his face while saying this.

Also today, the soldier who pushed Zayed's cousin into a river (he drowned) last year was given six months in jail for assault. That was all. The defense even claimed that the man did not die: like a whole extended family would make such a thing up! The trial report did not mention that the US soldiers also destroyed the man's truck full of plumbing supplies. The supposed crime: out after curfew. Six months for causing the death of an innocent. This whole incident only came to light because Zayed writes a blog in Iraq (Healing Iraq).

And also today, the news services is reporting that the US "accidentally" bombed the wrong home in Iraq, and killed six people (except the Iraqis claim it was 14 people) who were innocents. However, the official US spokesman said "possible innocents" even after admitting they bombed the wrong house! Like maybe they accidentally killed an insurgent or two by mistake! By the way, half of those killed in this bombing were CHILDREN.

This all sickens me. I don't know what to say to the Iraqi people other than:
I'm so very sorry.

And to the US authorities: get our troops out of there before they kill even more innocents. And then pay up big time for all the damage and hurt you have caused... out of your own pockets, please. And Americans: be prepared to go to an antiwar demonstration somewhere on March 19th (the second anniversary of this fiasco).

The Picture

The picture haunts me. It shows a small piece of pink fabric, part of a dress, covering a small piece of humanity. The wind softly lifts a strand of her coal black hair. She is lying face down in the street full of rubble, with her arm thrown over the chest of the man beside her. Her face is hidden from view, since it is pressed up against that man. It shows a strong measure of intimacy and familiarity, so I imagine the man is her father, grandfather, uncle, brother, cousin or close neighbor. She no doubt thought of this man as someone big and strong, someone who could protect her and keep her safe.

This little piece of humanity looks so perfect; it is hard to believe she is dead. I wish I could step into the picture and lift her hand, see if there is warmth there or maybe a pulse. She shows no signs of any violence herself.

This is not true of the man she is lies next too. His head is cleanly gone, and a large pool of blood surrounds him. There is no sign of any weapons near these two people, the little girl and the man beside her.

There is no way to know for sure, but the nature of the injury to the man lying dead indicates it was superior American firepower that took him down in the battle of Fallujah. The wound is not reflective of the weapons typically used by the guerrillas.

There is an American soldier in the picture also. He looks away from the little girl and the man, and his gun position indicates that he presently does not feel threatened. I wonder about him too: what is he thinking, smelling, and feeling at that moment of time? What kind of memories will he take with him? How will all of this affect him? Does he know more about the man lying there than the picture would indicate? What kind of scars and battles will he face when he returns home to the United States?

And of course, the questions unanswered by the picture: Did this little girl suffer? Did she die quickly? Did she know what was going on? Was she afraid? Was there a reason she was there, and what was the cause of her death? Was there a reason the man was shot? Was he a threat?

Do Americans even know about this little girl? Has it reached into their awareness? I saw this picture on an internet site, but I did not see it in an American newspaper or on an American television broadcast. Do Americans realize what is going on over there, and do they understand better than I do the reasons behind this continued violence? Do they realize this is the third time we have “liberated” the city of Fallujah and that Fallujah is now reduced to rubble? Do they know that all the water and sewer pipes will need to be replaced, due to the bombing, for a city that holds 300,000? Do they know that a significant number of the residents of this city are now living in tents? Do they know it is wintertime there?

It seems so pointless and futile to me. What a dreary and sad reality our country is creating in Iraq! We are growing enemies where we once had none. We are sowing seeds of hatred and revenge among people we are presumably there to help, people we are supposedly bringing “freedom and democracy”. This little girl has found the freedom of the grave and the democracy of death. She is, at least, beyond all pain and fear and suffering now.

I fear we are recruiting more terrorists every day while we are there in Iraq. Pictures such as the one of the little girl and the man besides her, and pictures that are far, far worse are being shown on Arab television every day. I saw this picture on al Jazeera website.

Our Shame in Guantanamo Bay

"The power of the executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious, and the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist." - Winston Churchill

And this is exactly what Mr. Bush and his administration is proposing to do at GITMO! (Actually, they have been doing it all along, but now they proposed these people should be locked up for the rest of their lives, without charges and without a trial.)

This is a clear sign of the abandonment of the rule of law, it also underlines Mr. Bush's weakness. If they were truly catching the "bad guys" then they could bring them to court and find them guilty. Instead, there will be no charges and no trial. It is highly immoral.

Another item:
Ever wonder just how good our Dept of Homeland Security could possibly be if they cannot even vet Mr. Kerik properly for the position of DIRECTOR? I have a picture of Bush and Kerik shaking hands, with a sign saying "Safer America" in the background. No, folks, they don't know what they are doing, and that lack of knowledge is not keeping us safe. And will not keep us safe in the future.

WNC Peace Coalition

We had a meeting of the WNC Peace Coalition tonight. The group felt that we should hold an organizational meeting to plan an event for March 19th - that is the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. We hope to hold this organizational meeting later this month. I hope we have a very big event on March 19th. I would like the theme to be "The True Cost of War", but we'll see what others want.

The group (and the representative from Vets for Peace) agreed to help with an "EYES WIDE OPEN" exhibit in Asheville. This is an exhibit put together by the American Friends Service Committee. I am really interested in bringing it to Asheville. You can read more about this at www.afsc.org They have a petition to sign to ask Mr. Bush to remove the troops from Iraq. Of course, we all know Bush has no plans to do that. But, it is still important to sign the petition, to let the world know (and the Iraqi people know) that not all Americans support this war and occupation.

Also, a reminder that J20 (inauguration day) is also "Not One Dime" day. United for Peace and Justice is asking all peace activists to not spend even one dime on January 20th. Not for food or gas or buses or anything. They are also asking people to come to the counter-inaugural, or stay home from work or school.

I will be in DC the week of the inauguration, to protest Bush's policies and to help the American Friends Service committee on their exhibit "Eyes Wide Open". I will blog from DC.

I read today that over 700 people have been found dead in two sections of Fallujah, due to the recent military action there. Over 550 are reported to be women and children, and a lot of the men are elderly. There are 18 more sections of Fallujah to be "resettled", and fighting still goes on, sadly.

The Media again

This is a clip from TV News Lies:

"TVNL Editor's Comments: CNN has started running cute little TV ads that follow in the footsteps of the famous ESPN ads. They are mildly humorous and they make you like the news people in the ads. A little note to CNN….YOU ARE A NEWS NETWORK! Or at least you claim to be one. At least pretend to have some dignity. At least pretend to present what you do as journalism. This would mean treating journalism the way it deserves; as a serious vital practice and not as entertainment."


Yes, CNN, we need you to act like journalists, not infotainers. We need you to tell us who, what, when, where and why.... without your editorial comments. You do not need to be popular, you need to be accurate. You need to realize what is and what IS NOT important. You need to stop the family tragedies, celebrity crime, and nonsense reporting.

Our democracy is hurting because of your choices. Not to mention Iraq.....

Letters the Washington Post will and won't publish

Here's the original letter I sent to the Washington Post last September:

"Rumsfeld is no doubt right that beheading is worse than beatings or rape. But is it worse than having a bomb dropped in your neighborhood while you are sleeping in bed? Is death by beating better than by beheading? I really won't know.

But there is one thing I do know: morality is not relative. And just because people out there do worse things, does not excuse immoral behavior on my part. If I choose to steal $20 from your wallet, while someone else chooses to steal the whole wallet, does not mean my behavior was okay."

Here's what the Washington Post wanted to publish:

"Donald Rumsfeld is no doubt right that beheading is worse than beatings or rape.

But morality is not relative. And just because people out there do worse things, does not excuse immoral behavior on my part. If I choose to steal $20 from your wallet, while someone else chooses to steal the whole wallet, does not mean my behavior was okay."

I told them they could publish the whole letter, or none of it. I really have no need to see my name in print in the Washington Post. And, I am not afraid of Rumsfeld. There is lots of things I'd like to tell him, as a matter of fact.

Twins

Today, I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting with Malcolm and Malique for the first time. They are exactly 11 days old. They are beautiful, and full of the light of God. They are the children of Zahrah, a former US soldier, who conceived this beautiful children while serving in Iraq. The twins' father is still in Iraq, and due to come home in February. He is in the National Guard.

It was such a pleasure just to hold these little ones. The name Malique means "king" or "leader" in Arabic. The name Malcolm means "dove"... and I forget what language that was originally from. The name Zahrah means "flower" and is also Arabic, I believe. Zahrah was evacuated from Iraq for medical reasons (not pregnancy) last summer. The army still has not found her belongings to forward them to her. I sent her a Peace Bear while she was in Iraq. I also sent a Peace Bear to Faiza, an Iraqi blogger.

I would also like to remember Zahrah Ali Sabah, a 26 year old Iraqi women who was killed by missiles on March 27, 2003 in Basrah. She is listed on Raed Jarrar's Iraqi Civilian Casualties list, and her name is in the middle of the list (when the list is put in order of ages of the deceased). I do not know if this Zahrah had children or not, but it is certain she had loved ones who grieve her death. So, one Zahrah lives and is blessed with two beautiful children, and another Zahrah dies from US missiles.

Please pray for peace tonight.

And here's one the Washington Post did publish

I almost missed it.... didn't read the WaPo on Christmas Eve.

Blogging in the Fog of War

Friday, December 24, 2004; Page A16

I started reading Iraqi blogs like those that Howard Kurtz chronicled ["Iraqi Bloggers, In the News And Critiquing It," Style, Dec. 20] just after the war started. Today when I read them, it feels as if I am reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" in real time.

I see some differences, of course. Anne Frank had heat, water and lights, but she could not leave her cramped dwelling. She also knew who her enemies were.

Across Iraq, the bloggers are allowed to leave their homes (in Fallujah, they were required to leave), but they do not know who wishes them harm and so they don't feel it is safe to leave their homes. Mostly, they are without heat and water, and only occasionally do they have electricity.

The blogs make for interesting reading. I hope things turn out better for the diary writers in Iraq than they did for Anne Frank.
SUSAN OEHLER
Asheville, N.C.

Why the U.S. Will Lose in Iraq

I've often heard that the reason we lost in Vietnam was due to the protesters in the U.S. and the media that covered them. That always struck me as ridiculous, since we started losing in Vietnam before the protests even really started. The following is part of an essay by Stewart Nusbaumer called "Why the U.S. Will Lose in Iraq":

It was claimed that those long-haired antiwar demonstrations, “the war at home,” brought about our defeat in Vietnam. And that the press was complicit: the liberal press was defeatist, and this defeated our noble effort in Southeast Asia. And the politicians, those back-stabbing Washington politicians, they refused to allow our military to win the war. In this post-war discussion in the 1970s, not blamed: were those who advocated the failed U.S. intervention in that far-off civil war; those who failed to design a strategy to counter the political and guerrilla war of the Vietnamese and those who hubristically ignored the fact that U.S. intervention would stimulate the great power of Vietnamese nationalism, which in the end defeated our internationalism, or if you prefer our imperialism.

It was irrelevant that the U.S. military won nearly every military battle, since we lost the psychological and strategic wars to the Vietnamese, to the North Vietnamese and to the Viet Cong, It was their country and they outlasted us in their country. Never underestimate the power of nationalism, even in this global world, to ignite “rag-tag armies.”

Hope On Sri Lanka

This is one time when I could not hope to say it better (from a Sri Lanka blog at www.wavesofhope.org ):

Hope on Sri Lanka
Filed under:
General— Lastnode @ 10:35 am
Today, on the first day of a New Year, we grieve for our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. We grieve because we, as a country, could not save them from this terrible tragedy. We grieve, because deep inside we know that Sri Lanka will never be the same again.
But today I say to you Sri Lanka, there is hope. It may be just around the corner, it may be miles away. But there is hope. And as you stoop down to move that piece of rubble, as you cellotape that thousandth package or as your eyes close from the lack of sleep, know that there is a reason, a method to this madness. Know that what you do matters, to all of us, to Sri Lanka.
Forget the threatening calls, forget the free advice. They sit in their air conditioned rooms while we walk the field, treading over rubble they haven’t seen - not even on TV. We have witnessed with our own eyes the sorrow of Sri Lanka, and because of this, we are the most equipped to help. Let the empty vessels talk, we will not listen. We will not step down till Sri Lanka stands tall once more.
To all those who are working hard day and night to help our country at this time of need, I say well done and God Bless. This new year is far from happy, but people like you give us all hope.
Hope on Sri Lanka. Hope on.

-->(my answer)

Note from the other side of the world: many of us are grieving along with you, hold you in our thoughts and prayers and are trying to be helpful by donating money to charity. Let us know if there is something more we can do. Many of us realize that this is the worst natural disaster that we will ever see….. and rest assured, you will get back on your feet again!
Comment by Susan - USA — 1/1/2005