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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
I Have Become Uncomfortably Numb by Cindy Sheehan
I am numb, I think.
Since the U.S. Corporate Military Industrial Complex forced me into the World of the Aware after my son’s murder in Iraq, I feel that the news freshly assaults me on a daily basis.
I am numb, I think, from being abused by this Empire on a regular basis for years.
I am numb, I think, because it wears on one to care so deeply when so many citizens of my national community (reader excepted) barely even know we are at war, let alone that we live in a murderous Empire.
On Friday, July 23rd when we were awaiting the birth of my new grandson in California, 52 Afghan civilians were slaughtered by US/NATO (same thing) forces.
I am numb, I think, because 52 people who have the exactly equal (if not greater) existential imperative as my grandchildren and your grandchildren; my children and your children; and you and I--who live in a war zone imposed on them by the Empire—based on lies and solely for profit—were alive and now they are dead.
I am numb because their deaths don’t make me feel safer—they make me feel like my existence is iffy and my numbness is a defense mechanism against what is only a news report to me—but life and death to millions of people who are in daily danger because The Empire that I live in sucks and most people who live here just don’t care. They are already numb--but not from an overload of bad news, but from the constant SOMA of the TV, or consumerism, or by simply trying to survive in this "big dog eat little dog" Empire.
I am numb, I think, because Wikileaks released over 91,000 leaked documents dealing with the day-to-day operations in Afghanistan that detail obvious and hidden war crimes. Just like with the Collateral Damage video previously released—did anyone who has been paying attention learn something new and did anyone who isn’t paying attention all of a sudden grow compassion skills? I doubt it--so I am numb, I think.
I am numb, I think, because many people elected a “Change” regime that has turned out to be a “Status Quo” regime and many of the people who voted for the Changer-in-Chief have become born again Cheerleaders for War. The anti-Decider-in-Chief movement has all but fizzled out to nothing. That the “Changer” is no different or better than the “Decider” is not what has numbed me--it’s the unreasonable support for the Changer that would cause me to stomp my feet in disgust, if it weren’t for the numbness.
Deep down inside of me, there is the Cindy who is raging against the Democratic Congress’s passage of the recent war-funding bill, but so I don’t explode, I am outwardly calm. Pissed off Cindy has to be in here, or I wouldn't be writing this piece--but the rhetoric that I have written hundreds of times is now having the feeling of "been there, done that." Well, I am numb, I think, because I have visited this topic continually and words are just not cutting it. How many words are there for: murder, death, destruction, slaughter, starvation, predatory Capitalism, war profiteering, war, illegal, immoral, war crimes, callous, greedy, rape, pillage, plunder, blah, blah, blah!
We live in an Empire that on a daily basis murders dozens of people without blinking even before I drink my first cup of coffee and which always ignores the basic needs of its own citizens. But its citizens are quietly complacent and materially complicit in these crimes. Slaves of, and to, The Empire.
I am numb, I think.
The numbness in me is reinforced when I hear that the US is increasing hostilities against Venezuela, North Korea and Iran. When will supporters of The Changer wake up?
Soon, I hope (at the risk of using The Changer's word) because this feeling of numbness is not healthy and just as twisted as the actual and hypocritical support for The Empire, depending on who inhabits the Oval Office.
I am numb, I think, but the Cindy who burns for justice and peace is still inside of me and I am sure she will be back out at some point.
Soon, I hope.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Why I Fight by Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan
I really hate to use the language of the violent-patriarchy, but since my precious oldest child was killed in Iraq, I have been in the fight of my life. I consistently feel bruised and banged up by the system, but never defeated and never as mangled, spindled, torn and mutilated as I did when I found out my son, Casey, was killed in Iraq.
When I first started my quest for answers, justice and peace and I never a) thought it would take this long (that's how naïve I was) and, b) began the journey to make sense and meaning out of my son's death.
Even though honoring Casey's life and spirit will always be a primary motivating factor for my work, it has evolved into something much deeper.
When Casey was first killed in April of 2004, I blamed George Bush and I blamed Iraq. Even though I lived through the Vietnam stain, I was young and it only left me with a vague and nagging notion that this nation of ours was deeply flawed. When I received Casey's posthumous medals at his funeral with the "gratitude of a grateful nation," I really didn't know what to make of it-first of all, I wasn't feeling any gratitude and I wasn't sure what the "nation" should be "grateful" for-I never believed that the US was fighting for "freedom and democracy" for anybody in the Middle East, and the only people that unfortunately have a moral right to fight are the ones being occupied.
However, my mission has expanded from honoring Casey and struggling against Iraq and Afghanistan-to fighting for the survival of all of the children on this planet by fighting against the US Empire.
The fight is so personal to me having lost a child to the Empire, but now I have three grandbabies to fight for and my three grandbabies represent all of the babies of the world to me.
On Saturday, July 24th, the newest little Sheehan arrived: Cohen Andrew Sheehan was born to his mom, Jade, and my surviving son, Andrew. He joins his cousins Jonah and Jovie in my burgeoning Peace Tribe. Cohen weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs and 8 oz and was 20.5 inches long.
Everyone is doing fine-on with the struggle!
Hasta la Victoria, siempre!
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The Casey Sheehan "End to War" Bill
I want to send the text of this proposed bill and a cover letter from me to every Congress Member and I want to visit a few who were a little more antiwar when Bush was president to see if this Bill can be introduced in Congress-do I think it has a chance? Probably not, but, hopefully, it will highlight the hypocrisy of the Empire sending our children to die for the profit and power mad elite.
Make a donation to help with postage and mailing materials for 535 + pieces of mail. The White House will get a special copy.
The Casey Sheehan "End to War" Bill by Cindy Sheehan
My son, Casey, joined the military in 2000, shortly before his 21st birthday, to help pay for college. He had already completed everything he could take at the local JC and was eager to move on-but he had a fulltime job, and even though we (his dad and I) helped out as much as we could, Casey also had three younger siblings and our family was firmly ensconced in the working-class.
Well, 16 months after he enlisted was September 11, 2001-and no matter what really happened that day-I had a horrible sense of foreboding that it would lead to my son's early death-and no matter how much I prayed, or cajoled him not to go, or worried-my worst fears were realized and Casey was killed just hours after arriving in Iraq on April 04, 2004.
There is no forced military conscription in the US today, but many will tell you that since forced conscription ended in 1973, there has been a "poverty draft." The poverty draft has only become more successful as the economy is tanking and our young people are finding less and less opportunity for work, or, as in Casey's case, to be able to afford college.
I have been finding it extremely difficult to find recruitment stats-I went to the DoD (Department of Defense) website and, although, the site claims the stats are published every month around the 10th, there are no such stats available for June or July. I did see many "The DoD identifies Army (Marine) Casualties-five just for today.
I found a story that was published in the Boston Globe from March of 2009 that states beginning in October of 2008, the military was exceeding their recruitment goals each month, mainly due to two factors: the economy and confidence in Obama's lies about Iraq.
So the beat goes on just like it always has: Poor people dying in rich men's wars-but now instead of being drafted, our kids are willingly joining to kill or be killed for a paycheck.
I am not going to elaborate on the mountains of evidence that the longest war (The Global War OF Terror) in US history is about profit, opening new markets for the globalists, controlling precious natural resources, etc-we have been over and over this. It was no coincidence that recently it was discovered that Afghanistan is chock-full of precious minerals-or that the only countries that are seriously threatened by the US War Machine are likewise endowed: Iran, Venezuela. Certain people and corporations are making a crap-load of money-as is the custom.
I am going to propose a piece of legislation that I would love to see introduced by a courageous member of Congress-not that I really believe it would happen, but this is my dream bill that I call:
The Casey Sheehan "End to War" Bill:
Immediately upon the president signing this bill into law, forced military conscription will begin.
The bill will have NO EXEMPTIONS to those who are eligible to the draft and the age limit is 18 to no upper limit. This bill seeks to draft those eligible from both genders and all gender and sexual preferences.
There will be very limited health exemptions as most people can perform a skill that is valuable to the military. As University is now open to all ages and attended by old and young alike, there will be no education exemptions. The draftees can resume or attend college when their stint in the armed forces is up. There will be no GI education benefits extended to the draftees, as they will be members of the wealthy of the US.
Citizens will be drafted in this order in the event of a Constitutionally declared war, or un-constitutionally started war, or any of these euphemisms (but not limited to) for war: police action, entanglement, theater, hostilities, occupation, special operations, interventions, cluster-fu@k, pacifications, war on drugs, peace-keeping, fighting for "freedom and democracy," etc:
The President and his/her Cabinet and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
Senators and Congress Members and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
CEO's of the Federal Reserve and Banks and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
CEO's of any company (including the media) that profit directly or indirectly from war and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
Anyone who by word or deed supports the entry into war, or any of the euphemisms associated with war, and their age appropriate dependents. This includes media pundits, male or female and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
Any citizen of the United States of America who does not fall into one of the above categories is categorically ineligible for this forced conscription draft.
This bill will also provide college tuition grants to anyone who does not fall into one of the above categories and who wishes to go to college-without having to join the military.
You may wonder who will "run" the country during time of war, but I can guarantee you if this bill miraculously was signed into law, war would immediately cease to exist. In a legitimate case of self-defense, every citizen of this country who is age-appropriate should enlist-but when was the last time this nation was in a war that wasn't about protecting its citizens, but protecting or stealing wealth?
Anyone know a legislator who will introduce the Casey Sheehan "End to War" Bill? Seriously, if a president feels so strongly about his wars of choice, then he and his closest allies and families should be fighting them. Also, if Congress feels strongly enough to fund these wars, then they and their closest allies and friends should also fight them.
No more of OUR blood for THEIR profit. Even in the "off" chance that this bill does not get signed into Federal law, we should do everything we can as parents, educators, community leaders and peace advocates to keep our young people from dying for the people who are mandatory draftees under The Casey Sheehan "End to War" Bill.
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LISTEN TO CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX--
GO TO THE ARCHIVES FOR SOME GREAT SHOWS.
YESTERDAY, WE POSTED A SHOW WITH JOHN BURRIS--CIVIL RIGHTS' ATTORNEY AND ATTORNEY FOR OSCAR GRANT'S MOM, WANDA JOHNSON.
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Thursday, July 22, 2010
Myth America II: FREE PDF FILE
Dear Friends,
I never viewed the new president as anything other than a military-corporatist and now over 18 months into a disastrous term, I have been vindicated, unfortunately--but I am still in an awkward place--trying to revive an antiwar/pro-peace movement that was neutralized after Obama's election.
I have tried everything in my humble arsenal to bring an end to the insane US foreign policy in Iraq/AfPak (and may have an exciting announcement soon), but to no avail.
In March of 2009, I released a PDF booklet called: Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution. The book did quite well and I was able to travel to about four dozen cities nationwide trying to educate about the class war that is being waged upon us and the need for a grassroots and peaceful revolution to wrest control of this nation from the Robber Class and put it into our hands--the hands of the Robbed Class. At the beginning of 2010, I rewrote and released: Myth America II: 20 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution.
Now, with continued high unemployment (a "Jobless Recovery" is another Myth), many wars raging, the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and other crises--I think the message of Myth America is even more crucial than before so I am making the PDF file available for free, or for any donation to Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox.
Myth America II exposes and dispels 20 Myths designed to keep us powerless and further widen the income and cultural disparity in this Nation. The book also shows us some very doable steps we can take right now to create healthy, happy, peaceful, prosperous and environmentally sustainable communities independent of the Robber Class.
Thank you all who have purchased the PDF and/or hosted a visit to your community--I really had a wonderful time, but now the urgency for relevant and positive change is even more pronounced.
CLICK ON MR. MONEYBAGS FOR ORDERING INFO
AS SOON AS I RECEIVE YOUR ORDER, I WILL EMAIL THE PDF FILE!
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Monday, July 19, 2010
The Casey Sheehan "End to War" Bill by Cindy Sheehan
My son, Casey, joined the military in 2000, shortly before his 21st birthday, to help pay for college. He had already completed everything he could take at the local JC and was eager to move on—but he had a fulltime job, and even though we (his dad and I) helped out as much as we could, Casey also had three younger siblings and our family was firmly ensconced in the working-class.
Well, 16 months after he enlisted was September 11, 2001—and no matter what really happened that day—I had a horrible sense of foreboding that it would lead to my son’s early death—and no matter how much I prayed, or cajoled him not to go, or worried—my worst fears were realized and Casey was killed just hours after arriving in Iraq on April 04, 2004.
There is no forced military conscription in the US today, but many will tell you that since forced conscription ended in 1973, there has been a “poverty draft.” The poverty draft has only become more successful as the economy is tanking and our young people are finding less and less opportunity for work, or, as in Casey’s case, to be able to afford college.
I have been finding it extremely difficult to find recruitment stats—I went to the DoD (Department of Defense) website and, although, the site claims the stats are published every month around the 10th, there are no such stats available for June or July. I did see many “The DoD identifies Army (Marine) Casualties—five just for today.
I found a story that was published in the Boston Globe from March of 2009 that states beginning in October of 2008, the military was exceeding their recruitment goals each month, mainly due to two factors: the economy and confidence in Obama’s lies about Iraq.
So the beat goes on just like it always has: Poor people dying in rich men’s wars—but now instead of being drafted, our kids are willingly joining to kill or be killed for a paycheck.
I am not going to elaborate on the mountains of evidence that the longest war (The Global War OF Terror) in US history is about profit, opening new markets for the globalists, controlling precious natural resources, etc—we have been over and over this. It was no coincidence that recently it was discovered that Afghanistan is chock-full of precious minerals—or that the only countries that are seriously threatened by the US War Machine are likewise endowed: Iran, Venezuela. Certain people and corporations are making a crap-load of money—as is the custom.
I am going to propose a piece of legislation that I would love to see introduced by a courageous member of Congress—not that I really believe it would happen, but this is my dream bill that I call: The Casey Sheehan “End to War” Bill:
Immediately upon the president signing this bill into law, forced military conscription will begin.
The bill will have NO EXEMPTIONS to those who are eligible to the draft and the age limit is 18 to no upper limit. This bill seeks to draft those eligible from both genders and all gender and sexual preferences.
There will be very limited health exemptions as most people can perform a skill that is valuable to the military. As University is now open to all ages and attended by old and young alike, there will be no education exemptions. The draftees can resume or attend college when their stint in the armed forces is up. There will be no GI education benefits extended to the draftees, as they will be members of the wealthy of the US.
Citizens will be drafted in this order in the event of a Constitutionally declared war, or un-constitutionally started war, or any of these euphemisms (but not limited to) for war: police action, entanglement, theater, hostilities, occupation, special operations, interventions, cluster-fu@k, pacifications, war on drugs, peace-keeping, fighting for “freedom and democracy,” etc:
The President and his/her Cabinet and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
Senators and Congress Members and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
CEO’s of the Federal Reserve and Banks and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
CEO’s of any company (including the media) that profit directly or indirectly from war and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
Anyone who by word or deed supports the entry into war, or any of the euphemisms associated with war, and their age appropriate dependents. This includes media pundits, male or female and their age appropriate dependents, including spouses. No exemptions as outlined above.
Any citizen of the United States of America who does not fall into one of the above categories is categorically ineligible for this forced conscription draft.
This bill will also provide college tuition grants to anyone who does not fall into one of the above categories and who wishes to go to college—without having to join the military.
You may wonder who will “run” the country during time of war, but I can guarantee you if this bill miraculously was signed into law, war would immediately cease to exist. In a legitimate case of self-defense, every citizen of this country who is age-appropriate should enlist—but when was the last time this nation was in a war that wasn’t about protecting its citizens, but protecting or stealing wealth?
Anyone know a legislator who will introduce the Casey Sheehan “End to War” Bill? Seriously, if a president feels so strongly about his wars of choice, then he and his closest allies and families should be fighting them. Also, if Congress feels strongly enough to fund these wars, then they and their closest allies and friends should also fight them.
No more of OUR blood for THEIR profit. Even in the “off” chance that this bill does not get signed into Federal law, we should do everything we can as parents, educators, community leaders and peace advocates to keep our young people from dying for the people who are mandatory draftees under The Casey Sheehan “End to War” Bill.
Impeach Obama? Cindy Sheehan
“Trouble is that, like god, impeachment does not exist"
David Swanson, progressive author and activist
Recently, I received an email from Veterans for Peace (VFP) Chapter 136 in Central Florida asking me for an endorsement of its resolution to impeach Barack Obama.
First of all, I would like to commend the Central Florida chapter for its integrity and vision for peace that this resolution exhibits. In my own experience, it’s not even popular to criticize the Dalai Bama, let alone call for his removal from office. Kudos!
Secondly, even though Chapter 136 uses the EXACT SAME references and charges that National VFP used for its resolution to impeach Bush and Cheney, I have little hope that National VFP will pass a similar resolution at its national convention. It’s unfortunate that standards are rarely applied equally across the board. I “hope” I am wrong.
In 2005, National VFP called for impeaching the Bush criminals even before it was en vogue to be against the regime. I remember being severely and thoroughly attacked by the left, right and in between for riding to Crawford in a bus driven by VFP members that had “IMPEACH BUSH” written across the sides in huge letters. On November 5th, 2004, I was myself in the avant-garde of calling for Bush’s impeachment just a day after his “re-election” to a second term.
In 2007, I announced my electoral challenge to Speaker of the House, Nancy “Impeachment off the Table” Pelosi because I felt so strongly in this Constitutional remedy to a criminal executive. Did I believe I would win? Just about as much as I believe that Nancy will impeach someone from her own party if she wouldn’t impeach a scoundrel like Bush.
But like VFP’s resolution says: “We want to emphasize that our chapter’s call for the Impeachment of President Obama for war crimes is not based on whether or not Impeachment is likely to occur, but rather our call for Impeachment is based on what we as Veterans For Peace feel is our duty in the case where war crimes are being committed under the command and authority of any United States President.”
This is the text of the resolution:
IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA FOR WAR CRIMES
Whereas Barack H. Obama is Commander In Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces and the head of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government; and,
Whereas the illegal U.S. invasion, bombing and occupation of Iraq initiated by the Bush administration continues under the Obama administration; and,
Whereas the U.S. government is currently engaged in illegal wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Obama has pledged to increase the number of military personnel and the amount of tax dollars spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and,
Whereas the U.S. military has used and continues to use depleted uranium munitions, cluster bombs and white phosphorous in densely populated areas in violation of U.S. and international laws and treaties prohibiting the indiscriminate killing of civilians; and,
Whereas the Geneva Conventions specifically prohibit the use of especially injurious weapons and materials that cause unnecessary harm by remaining active and deadly after a battle and over large areas of land; and,
Whereas a large number of babies born in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from illness and deformity like Down’s syndrome, weak hearts, severe disfigurement and brain damage that doctors believe are caused by the U.S. military’s massive and widespread use of toxic and radioactive materials; and,
Whereas millions upon millions of Iraqi, Afghani and Pakistani civilians have been killed, maimed, poisoned and displaced from their homes as a direct result of the U.S.’s ongoing, illegal acts of war; and,
Whereas illegal, immoral and counterproductive detainee torture and brutalization at the hands of the U.S. military’s Immediate Reaction Force continue at Guantanamo under the Obama administration; and,
Whereas Obama is an accessory after the fact for obstructing justice by not initiating an investigation into numerous and blatant U.S. war crimes committed by the Bush administration for which it is manifestly accountable under the rule of law; and,
Whereas Veterans For Peace supported the impeachment of Bush/Cheney for the same war crimes that are now being committed by Obama in violation of the U.S. Constitution, U.S. federal laws, the United Nations Charter, the Hague Convention, the Geneva Conventions, The United Nations Convention Against Torture and the Nuremberg Tribunal Charter; and,
Whereas Veterans For Peace is committed to its stated mission to restrain our government from intervening, overtly or covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations, to seek justice for veterans and victims of war, to increase public awareness of the costs of war, and to abolish war as an instrument of national policy; and, therefore be it
Resolved that Veterans For Peace calls on the U.S. House of Representatives to immediately begin impeachment proceedings against Barack H. Obama for failure to uphold his sworn oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America from all enemies foreign and domestic, and for his commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, obstruction of justice and the violation of numerous national and international laws, treaties and conventions.
Note: This resolution to call for the Impeachment of President Barack H. Obama for War Crimes was debated, voted on, and approved by the members of the Central Florida chapter of Veterans For Peace on 7 July 2009.
I endorsed this call, as did my organization, Peace of the Action.
If you would like to individually endorse, or as a group:
Endorsed by:
________________________________________________________________
On this ______ day of ____________________, 2010
Please return mail or fax to:
Central Florida Veterans For Peace
P.O. Box 9012
Daytona Beach, FL 32120-9012
Phone/Fax: (386) 788-2918
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Government Persecutors Read my Blog by Cindy Sheehan
Government Persecutors Read my Blog!
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan
On July 12th, after one postponement, the POTA (Peace of the Action) 3, plus 3, went to trial in DC Superior Court for our arrests after the ANSWER rally and march on March 20th (the 7th anniversary of the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq).
On March 20th, after the rally and march, Elaine Brower of MFSO (Military Families Speak Out) and Matthis Chiroux of IVAW (Iraq Vets Against the War) accompanied some mock coffins that were in the march to the sidewalk in front of the White House. Even though there were thousands of people in attendance, Matthis and Elaine (and two others that didn’t end up going to trial) were the only ones that lay on the sidewalk.
I spoke at the rally, but did not go on the march. During the march, I went to lunch and back to Camp OUT NOW that Peace of the Action had erected on the lawn of the Washington Monument. Some of us agreed to meet at the West side of the White House fence at 4pm, because we had heard the Democrats were going to all go there to have a meeting with the president about the “health (corporate give-away) care” bill.
When I returned back to the White House, I saw some commotion that was happening near the centerline of the White House and went to check it out. That’s when I saw Elaine and Matthis in the pen the Park Police had set up and planned to join them. Long story short: four of us were arrested for “crossing a police line.” And four of us were arrested for “disorderly conduct.” Six of us who were arrested (including myself) spent the next 52 hours in DC jail.
When we were arraigned (in waist and leg shackles) that Monday, we were given a stay-away order from the White House, and all the defendants, except me, were given the opportunity to pay the fine and forfeit the right to trial. They all rejected the offer and we were scheduled for trial on June 10th.
On June 9th, I was on my way to the airport in California at about 5:30 am to go to DC for the trial, when I got an email from one of our lawyers saying that the trial was postponed. We learned the next day that the trial was scheduled for July 12th—when I happened to be in DC for Sizzlin’ Summer Protests. The trial was yesterday.
A very creepy video that the DC National Park Service Police filmed during that day was the centerpiece of the persecutor’s case. The video is creepy because of what the cameraperson focuses on. He/she was at Camp OUT NOW earlier that day and then moved over to Lafayette Park and moved slowly from sign to sign—to faces (most familiar, long-time activists)—the person even focused on a Worker’s World (socialist) newspaper on the sidewalk. It was just creepy—we are constantly and voyeuristically being surveiled by our government.
Persecutor for the government, Branch, brought only two officers including Captain Beck, who was in charge that day, to testify. Captain Beck could only confirm that he witnessed four of the six of us committing our “crimes.” In the video that Persecutor Branch showed, you can see the “good” Captain Beck—who was only a Lieutenant that day-- clearly shoving his bullhorn in my chest after my wrists were cuffed behind my back and the arresting officer is shown wrenching my arms up after two cops shoved me. Anyway—the two others of the POTA 3, Jon Gold and Jim Veeder aren’t even shown in the police video crossing the line. The Government Persecutor brought only one very incoherent officer to testify to say that he had arrested Veeder (or the "white male with the aqua shirt).
I took the stand at the end of the defense case and I testified that I came upon the scene when the resistance was already in progress and that when I saw Elaine and Matthis being penned in there that it was my intention to go and lie down next to them and the coffins in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people our nation has slaughtered in the name of profit.
Persecutor Branch thought she had damning “evidence” in two of my blogs where I wrote in one that I “crossed the police line.” Well, I was arrested for “crossing a police line" and held in jail for 52 hours for “crossing a police line.” Persecutor Branch said: “Then you agree with the charges.” Wow, was that one of the dumbest questions ever? “If I agreed with the charges, I would have plead guilty and I wouldn’t be here today,” I answered her. "No further questions."
I, and my co-defendants, have spent a considerable amount of personal money, time, and energy to protest the Bush/Obama wars. Elaine Brower’s convertible can probably drive down to DC from her NYC home by itself by now. Jon Gold has taken considerable time off of work to join Peace of the Action in DC last March and this July. Both Elaine and Jon had to take the 12th off to be here on trial. Matthis has to live with PTSD and part of his “therapy” is the antiwar sacrifices that he makes. If we “agreed” with being arrested for exercising our human freedoms and the freedoms guaranteed to us under the First Amendment, then we wouldn’t have taken the time, expense and energy to come to DC for trial after trial.
After the pitiful persecution, Persecutor Branch presented and after the spirited defense that our lawyers presented (First Amendment, necessity of protesting an illegal and immoral war, the questionable legality of the police line), three of us (the POTA 3) were acquitted (the persecution didn’t prove their case against us beyond a reasonable doubt) and Matthis, Leflora and Elaine were convicted and given a $100.00 fine (suspended) and a mandatory $50.00 assessment to go to the Victims of Violent Crimes fund, which an amazing supporter, Larry Maxwell, paid after the verdict. Those convicted were convicted because the video clearly showed them and their infractions, and we other three were acquitted because the video did not clearly show our infractions. This seems to show some very lazy police-work to rely on videos that only they shoot. If the Persecutor had showed the Peace of the Action video, it would have been perfectly clear that I purposefully crossed that police line. Oh well—a win is a win!
This was actually the first time I was acquitted for charges stemming from protest and I wonder how Persecutor Branch feels about that one? I know our legal team was thrilled!
Elaine and I were in jail for the 52 hours—at least we got to stay together—when we weren’t trying to sleep on the stone-cold cement floors—we talked about the pathetic antiwar movement and sort of felt sorry for ourselves being locked up for so long for such minor infractions that were still principled stands. However, we agreed then and we agreed yesterday after the trial was over—we would do this again and keep doing it until the wars end and our troops quit killing innocent people for the Empire and come home to get the help they need to reintegrate healthfully and wholly back into society.
We can’t help it—we are serial Peace Criminals.
I hope Persecutor Branch enjoys this blog.
Note—today we went to the White House to bid a not-so-fond farewell to Obama, and I got to go all the way up to the fence because our stay away orders were lifted!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Requiem for the Antiwar Movement by Cindy Sheehan
“When you vote for war, don't be surprised when you get it.”
Cindy Sheehan
“I will send at least two additional combat brigades to Afghanistan.”
Presidential Candidate Barack Obama
“This war (Iraq) prevents us from tackling every serious threat that we face, from a resurgent al-Qaeda in Afghanistan to a hostile Iranian regime intent on possessing nuclear weapons.”
Candidate Barack Obama
“And if we have actionable intelligence about high-level al-Qaeda targets (in Pakistan), we must act if Pakistan will or cannot.”
Candidate Barack Obama
This article and these observations are going to piss some people off—but oh well. You will be angry with me, even though I am not the one who is ordering more war, paying for more war, torturing people and imprisoning them without due process, destroying the economy and the environment, blah, blah, blah. I have developed an incredibly thick skin and if I rankle, it’s because I think time is running out to halt the disastrous trajectory this planet (via the US Military Corporate Complex) is on. I promise that I am not writing this because I am holding protests and no one is coming—these thoughts have been percolating in me for months now. (Note: Remember that old saying: “What if they gave a war and nobody came?” Well, here in DC I am living the opposite: “What if they gave an antiwar protest and nobody came?”)
My grandbabies and other people’s grandbabies WILL NOT live in a world where war for profit is so normal that state-sanctioned violence is rarely even questioned—and if it is, then the person questioning is the “looney tunes,” the “mama moonbat,” the “radical.” That is one seriously messed-up world. You know it is and we are the only ones who have the key to unmessing it.
Last week, the Democratically controlled House of Representatives voted to give Barack Obama 33 billion more dollars to prosecute two idiotic and ill-advised wars. Of course they did—it wasn’t the first time since 2007 that a Democratic Congress voted to fund wars, and it won’t be the last—do you all know why? BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS DON’T WANT PEACE—THEY ARE JUST ONE-HALF OF THE “WAR PARTY.”
Why else did the Democrats vote for more war, more death and more destruction? If you are a Democrat and voted for one of these scum—did you vote for them hoping that you would get more war? Did you vote for Obama hoping that he would dig this country into a deeper hole, and do you still believe that fucking things up even more is the way to solve problems?
Do you all know what else? The wars that were begun in the Bush presidency and fully funded and increased during the Obama regime belong to everyone who voted for Obama, too. If you listened to what Obama said, and not just how he said it, then you would have heard him promise you that he was going to SEND MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN. You would have heard him say that nothing was “off the table” for dealing with Iran.
During the campaign, many colleagues and friends of mine, assured me that Obama was just saying this hostile crap to “get elected” and once he was elected that he would “do the right thing.” Well, first of all, why support such a pandering Jackwagon, and secondly, how has that ever worked? Three days after Obama swore to uphold and defend the Constitution, he drone-bombed a “target” in Pakistan killing 3 dozen civilians—and since that day he has elevated the art of drone bombings to new heights, while the so-called antiwar movement looks on in silent complacency and while Democratic operatives disguised as antiwar groups are hoping against hope that Obama comes out strong with a new antiwar marketing campaign to assure his “re-election.” Even though not one progressive issue has been propagated during his term, these war supporters are looking forward to another four years of the dance of death. Right foot kill—left foot torture—spin around for environmental devastation—allemande left for health care fascism—and shimmy right for bankster bailouts. Wasn’t eight years of this crap during the Bush stain enough for y’all?
Many antiwar groups and people who claim they are for peace lose their minds during election season thinking that the razor-thin difference between the Democrat and Republican is enough to go ape-shit crazy in working for the Democrat. Just take the last two Democratic candidates, for example. Kerry and Obama both supported more war. An “antiwar” movement de-legitimizes itself when it works hard for a candidate who does not promise total and rapid withdrawal of troops from wherever they happen to be at the time AND does not promise to end war as an imperial tool of corporate conquest.
The majority of the so-called antiwar movement, in fact, voted for a candidate that PROMISED to contract one war only to be able to profoundly EXPAND another. Obama all along said that he is not against all war, just “dumb wars.” If there existed an antiwar movement that had integrity—it would have said that “all wars are dumb,” and we withhold our support for just another dyed-in-the-wool warmonger.
What do we do now that we have another two and a half years of a hawk who thinks it is just hunky-dory that his supporters are under the delusion that he is a dove—he was awarded the war-establishment’s highest prize wasn’t he? He is, after all, a Nobel Laureate.
First of all, voting just doesn’t cut it. Realistically, our choices are between War Party Candidate A and War Party Candidate B. A true peace candidate is marginalized, metaphorically spat upon, and reviled. This is not a nation that honors peace and non-violence. From the top down, we are a violent nation—so from the bottom up, we have to restructure society. Liberate yourself and remove your Obama bumper sticker that has a peace sign instead of the “O.” If you are antiwar, you know in your heart that he is not a peace monger.
Secondly, our resources and energy are stretched thin. We live in a credit based economy where good jobs are scarce. Many people, who have the same values, in this almost value-free society, constantly tell me that they would be with me if they could afford it.
Since my son was killed, which was as violent of a paradigm shift as anyone should have to endure, I have whittled my life down to a bare minimum. I have no car. I have no pets. I have no plants. I have no credit cards. My income is based on my donations from my itinerant peace travels and book sales. I have moved eight times since Casey died and now I can move with one small u-haul. I have a cell phone and computer, a bed, clothes, a few dishes, a few valued books and peace paraphernalia and pictures of my children and grandbabies.
As HD Thoreau said: “You don’t own your possessions, they own you.” This consumer orgiastic society makes us literal slaves to a system that is detrimental to our health. Freeing oneself from those chains frees one to be a full-time, or near full-time activist. “Simplify, simplify, simplify.”
Massive antiwar protest in this country is dead. We may as well acknowledge that and just bury the corpse, mourn, and then figure out a better way of doing things.
In the Christian tradition, death was only a prelude to new and better life and farmers well tell you that a seed has to die before a health-nourishing plant can be born and then there’s the ever ubiquitous example of the ugly, hairy, and yucky caterpillar being reborn as a magnificent and beautiful butterfly. Have I hammered you with enough clichés yet?
The key to turning this caterpillar of a country into a beautiful butterfly is in Peace and recognizing that no matter if one is Bush, Obama, McCain or Palin—these people don’t want Peace, but we do.
I think we lose the raw humanity of war when we allow ourselves to wallow in War Party politics. When the Democratic Wing of the War Party took over the mis-management of the Empire, the anti-war movement was effectively neutralized even though the wars weren’t.
So after we are done mourning, we get together as one human family to organize something that will bring positive change. We are not enemies with each other—we may be “enemies of the state,” but the state is our enemy.
No more marching in circles, it makes us dizzy.
No more signing petitions, it gives us writer’s cramp.
No more calling Congress-scum, the war machine is its master.
The establishment wants us to think that this busy-work has a chance to be effective—but when is the last time any of these tactics worked on a Federal level? Your president or your congress rep couldn’t care less want you think or want. Your vote doesn’t even count—in case you haven’t heard, they steal votes and falsely manipulate you, anyway.
I am going to close with my organization’s motivational quote. Peace of the ACTION takes our inspiration from a Mario Savio quote that he said on the steps of Sproul Hall at UC Berkeley, 46 years ago:
“There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart that you can’t take part, you can’t even passively take part. You have to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the levers, upon all the apparatus and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who own it, to the people who run it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.”
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
General Atomics Afraid of Peace of the Action by Cindy Sheehan
Jackwagons
Cindy Sheehan
Last week I was getting ready to head out to DC for Peace of the Action’s Sizzlin’ Summer Protest when I got a call with a 202 (DC) area code. This is how the conversation went:
Me: Hello, this is Cindy.
Caller: Hello, my name is (I forget) from PM Realty in Washington, DC.
Me: And? What can I do for you?
Caller: I was looking at your website and I noticed that I represent one of the clients you are going to protest next week and I want to know what you are planning.
Me: I am protesting a lot of places, which do you represent?
Caller: I represent the landlord?
Me: The landlord of the White House? Can you please be more specific?
Caller: I represent the landlord where General Atomics has offices.
Me: Oh (this was what I thought he was talking about), and what do you want to know?
Caller: Well, exactly what do you have planned?
Me: Well, I can tell you what we don’t have planned—we aren’t going to call a drone strike on the building and drop a hellfire missile on it.
Caller: I have to protect my clients.
Me: From what? Peace activists?
Then I hung up.
Today, my colleague, Josh Smith and I went to 1899 Pennsylvania Ave where General Atomics has its offices to recon for our protest tomorrow. If you go to the website of General Atomics, not only will you find out exactly where its offices are (they are not hiding), you will find out that General Atomics builds Predator unmanned aerial vehicles that are used by the US military to drop Hellfire missiles from thousands of feet above on to mostly civilian targets and have killed thousands of innocent people.
When we arrived at the building that is directly across the street from the World Bank in the NW quadrant of DC, we walked right in the front door and right up to the front desk (Josh was wearing his Peace of the Action shirt) and asked a uniformed security guard what floor GA is on. She looked at a list on the desk and said: “Third floor.” We thanked her and left. The reason we wanted to confirm that GA is in the building is because when we protested at the Joint Command for the Gulf Disaster in New Orleans, there was some controversy if we were protesting at the right place.
So, Josh and I left GA and walked across the street to the CVS to grab a cold drink. We walked back across the street to head for the Metro at Faragut Wast, and three men were congregated in front of 1899 Penn Ave checking us out. Two of the men were “suits” and one was a black man who was dressed in street clothes, but with a badge around his neck.
I took some pictures of the entrance and the address, and the black man quickly approached us. He said: “We want to know why you entered the building and asked what floor General Atomics was on.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Security for General Atomics,” he answered.
Josh: “We asked because we wanted to know what floor it was on.”
Security: “Why do you want to know?”
Me: “It’s really none of your business.”
Josh: “Just stay away from us.”
Security: “Okay, okay.”
Then we walked away.
We cut through some buildings on the way to the Metro Station so I could find a bathroom. Josh and I went down to the train platform and were chatting about and chuckling about General Atomics being so concerned about a few people standing in front of their building with a banner, when Josh said: “Hey, isn’t that the security guy!?”
I turned around to where Josh was pointing, and sure enough, he was walking past us with a ball-cap on, carrying a backpack. When he saw that we recognized him, he sheepishly tipped his cap to us and said: “Hey, how’s it going?” Then he walked past us.
A train pulled up that wasn’t ours, so we jumped on it and tried to make our way back to where we were staying in a non-direct way.
So—what is this all about?
On Monday, my wallet was stolen and literally a few minutes after it was stolen, someone tried to use it at a DC Target Store to buy EXACTLY 911.00 worth of merchandise.
What are these evil “Jackwagons” up to?
What does Jackwagon mean? I don’t know, but I heard it today and liked it and without using profanity, it fits!
If you are able, join Peace of the Action as we protest an evil war profiteer in DC. (Safety in Numbers).
For more info go to www.PeaceoftheAction.org
PS: If Josh and I “disappear” call General Atomics and ask what they did to us.
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