CONNECTIONS IN ABU DABAI BAILOUT OF CITICORP

It's all about connections. The Bushes'relationship with the heads of state of Abu Dabai has never been a secret. What I didn't get until I looked it up was the board of directors of Abu Dabai Investment Authority is packed with Bush buddies. They have hosted and been hosted by GHW and GW in recent months. You think they were talking about the subprime crash and the subsequent floundering of Citicorp? You think maybe they came up with some ideas about a bailout? I'm convinced, more than ever, that our lives are totally controlled by a very few individuals in this world. What can we do about this?

PICKING FIGHTS WITH PEACEMAKERS

He said, "Let me ask you something. Did he enlist? Then he got what he deserved.”
This question, posed during PPJ’s recent peace demonstration, was cruel and inappropriate to the widow of an American veteran. It was posed as if enlistment then justifies the death of a husband and father in an illegal war of aggression. Yet this is what our nation and our discourse has been reduced to: spit out soundbites and angry rejoinders.

It’s not just the 3,875 officially acknowledged dead Americans, although that is sad enough. USA Today reports the Pentagon has not classified as wounded some 20,000 soldiers with brain injuries. A November 13, 2007 report from CBS News tells us that in 2005 alone, in just 45 states reporting, there were at least 6,256 suicides among those who had served in the armed forces. That’s 120 each and every week, in just one year. Just adding that one year, 2005, to the current death toll puts the cost of this aggression at over 10,000 American soldiers. Add in the 30,327 officially wounded and tell us the cost of “freedom” in Iraq is worth it. We get 60,458 young American lives ruined forever, either through untimely death, brain injury, suicide or physical disability.

St Augustine People for Peace and Justice apologizes to any who have been offended by our presence, our signs and our infrequent responses to the obscene insults and baiting that we endure every first and third Saturday at the Plaza de Constitucion. We do not look for apologies from the countless individuals who once supported or still support this immoral illegal occupation. They are hurt, defensive and confused and strike out at us for relief. However, we will never apologize for our belief that all war is wrong and this “war” in particular is a grievous mistake, based on lies and twisted intelligence, which is killing our young people and innocent civilians while enriching the cronies of the Bush administration.

But we will always welcome reasoned dissent and try to find common ground. We believe it is the only way to hold this nation together.

Why, Mommy?

Why, Mommy?

Why indeed. I died on Veterans Day 11/11/07 at 11 a.m in St Augustine as one of 3860 US soldiers, 141 journalists and 1,100,000 Iraqis. Lying on the hard ground, seeing nothing and hearing footsteps and muffled conversations, throughout it all, one child’s plaintive voice broke through: “Why, Mommy?”

“Because they’re tired, honey.”

Twenty people, dressed in black, solemnly and silently marched the entire length of St George Street to the dirge-like beat of a drum. Signs around their necks noted numbers of dead US soldiers, dead Iraqis, dead children and dead journalists. At predetermined places, the twenty laid down dead on the ground for ten minutes while peacekeepers passed out flyers, outlined bodies with chalk and protected them from any potential injury, intentional or otherwise. The police dutifully showed up to tell the group to move on after their second die-in attempt. They were “blocking the flow of foot traffic”.

Tired, hell yes. While this small group protested the Iraq “war”, others were celebrating sacrifices made there and in other wars. Care was taken to make sure the demonstration was respectful and peaceful but incredibly, there are still those who equate Iraq with the 9/11 attacks, still those who say “You people disgust me” and even worse, still those who will not meet your eyes, take your flyers or rouse themselves from their apathy and despair to take a stand.

Tired, hell yes. While this small group protested the war, draft dodger Dick Cheney was at Arlington Cemetery giving a ten minute speech honoring Iraq veterans while co-draft dodger George Bush was addressing troops at a minor Veterans event in Waco Texas. Clearly wars are fought by the little people, bravely and selflessly, while the power elite sit home safely, making speeches and suppressing dissenters. These two criminal draft dodgers have no business and no right to say anything about those who have sacrificed and died in war yet there is no outrage about this?

Tired, hell yes. While twenty people in the streets is a decent turnout in St Augustine, while countless people thanked us for what we were doing, while many others sadly honored their war dead, why aren’t there more of us in the streets? Demonstrators today included members from Veterans for Peace, St Augustine People for Peace and Justice, Grandparents for Peace and Citizens in Action. Where is the general population? Are you dead too? Thank yous are great but actions speak louder than words.

We’re all tired but the outrage is building. Many anti-war activists are becoming more radicalized. Orlando’s protest on 10/27 was a first in unity with nationwide demonstrations that day. Activists from the sixties are showing young activists how it’s done and young activists are adding their own creativity. Status quo government is worried and suppression of dissent and First Amendment rights is growing. Something’s got to give.

St Augustine’s first “Die In” ended at noon, auspiciously with the church bells pealing loud and long on a beautiful sunny day. Could it be the beginning of the revolution? Could it be the beginning of the truthful answer to the question “Why, Mommy?”

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.” Gandhi