AD July 21st, 2007 5:53 pm
I have to say good going, Portland Maine. You Yankees done and done it right on this peace thing, ya’ll!
The Godfather July 21st, 2007 9:10 pm
Nice way to spend an hour or two…Everyone felt so good…Then they all went home…Maybe sang Kumbayah….It’s like pissing your pants in a dark suit; feels so good for a few seconds and no one notices certainly not the politicians.
As Haig used to say,”Let them march all they want to so long as they pay their taxes.”
Getting together and holding hands ain’t a threat to anyone in DC.
Jen July 21st, 2007 10:59 pm
The Godfather,
How do we stop the war? Your comment was very discouraging. Do you have no hope?
GARBOTOO July 21st, 2007 11:59 pm
We live in a country where the government exists purely for the government..the people it appears are completely disconnected from the process of governing.
“Do you have no hope?”…not much…this regime in DC…has me completely flummoxed…they just do as they please and there are no consequences for their actions …and our so called Democrat controlled congress dithers away the remaining time of the administration…like a bunch of just caught fish flopping around on a dock.
Pelosi…has spoken…impeachment is not an option…she will be remembered for nothing else…so much for her being the first woman speaker…not!
Evelyn Smith July 22nd, 2007 12:26 am
Hey Jen, we don’t like hearing the truth, cause the truth at times hurts our feelings. Godfather’s comment made more of an impression with me regarding the war in Iraq, than the photograph did.
How do we stop the war you ask? Well, probably not by having some fun in the park. Now the truth is, if I lived in Portland Maine, I likely would have been out there too. I believe Godgather was just makig a fun, yet critical observation.___ (that it aint’t quite enough.)
Your comment didn’t hurt either, cause it cleared the air for some thoughtful thinking. After reading your’s, I for one, realized there was a message in his sarcasm. He made a good point. We all have a lot of work to do, if we are gonna stop Cheney.
Evelyn Smith July 22nd, 2007 12:30 am
It din edit
LAquaker July 22nd, 2007 6:43 am
Before the County of Los Angeles approves it’s 18 billion budget each year, a State mandated 10 days of public comment is uasualy only one or two days. No one much shows up except the horse trail people.
When the State of California held public hearings on the deregulation of electric power in 1995 and 96, maybe 10 or 12 of us showed up. PG&E, SCE, SDPL, Enron, et. al. stole 40 billion+ from California’s budget “surplus”.
When we protested Gov Wilson signing the legislation because it would also make ratepayers pay for the risk losses of nuclar plant “investors”, four people were there.
The police in Los Angeles can usualy match the protesters in number if they want to. Often it looks that way on our streets.
In the last election, we sat there for 14 hours. my precinct had 20 voters.
In 1999,00,01 we averaged 500 to a thousand people a month in social justice meetings. A thousand so far this year met locally in such meetings. But now, I’m swimming in e-mail.
Democracy works: We get what we deserve.
P.S. Brook General Hospital in San Antonio TX. had a sidewalk until 1970 that was a 200 foot peace symbol.
The USArmy added two spokes that went nowhere that year.
UN-common-dreams July 22nd, 2007 8:19 am
Personally I feel that the ‘get together’ in Maine was not a waste of time.
Similar disparaging remarks are sometimes made on C-D by some folk who castigate others for writing here, (-with the assumption or implication that folks are doing nothing else, -but just writing on blogs).
My take on all this, is that every action DOES have results, -can it fail to do so?
Yes, -of course- if ALL we ever did was write on blogs and form human symbols in parks, then that is not nearly enough, but I feel that when such actions are taken, it strengthens a COMMUNITY SPIRIT of resistance, and such actions have spin-offs, they perhaps inspire others to ‘bigger and better things’?
** They certainly raise awareness and consciousness in others who witness such events ** -and is that not something we long for?
And, for as long as people are uplifting each other in a spirit of COMMUNITY PROTEST, in whatever shape or form, (be it large or small actions) then it KEEPS THE FLAME ALIVE in peoples’ hearts…
Progressive folk then feel that they are not so isolated in the current mess that mis-government is causing the planet, ~ and that surely is a good thing?
Wave on!
Li-an July 22nd, 2007 9:28 am
Portland might want to know about this. All Americans might want to know about this.
goldismoney.info
Mendo Chuck July 22nd, 2007 10:21 am
Godfathers comment is all well and good but . . . Where else will you see this picture? This was done on July 14th and today being the 22nd and I have yet to have seen this image any place else. Of course I will pass it on but to whom . . . To folks of like mine. So here we are again preaching to the choir.
Want something interesting check out the link that Li-an put up. Then see if you find this bit of news any place else. That should give you a clue to what is really happening. If you find this bit of news any place else there may be hope. If you don’t . . . . Well need I say more.
Corporations are running Washington DC and they don’t give a S__T about what you think.
PJD July 22nd, 2007 12:51 pm
A sufficient protest turnout, one in the millions that shuts the city of Washington DC down due to simple sheer numbers, _would_ have an effect.
But only a small fraction of those who claim they care turn out - enormous national organizational efforts by UFPJ and ANSWER never managed to turn out more than about 100-200,000. Fundamentalist Christians turn out far more for Anti-abortion protests, and Jews turn out more over their peculiar over-attention to the Darfur crisis. Meanwhile, so many, hung up in the culture of the celebrity, heap praise on “leaders” like Cindy Sheehan or Medea Benjaman. But when it actually come time to commit to doing something, it’s “oh, I’ve got shopping to do”, sorry, I’ve got ticket for a show that day. etc, etc ad nauseum. Then there’s the old “no answer at all” - except for a look on their face that shown they are worrying how it could affect their job or relationship with friends.
People, this is not a TV episode.
What would you do to if you had to donate an organ to save a dying brother, sister, or best friend? You wouldn’t say “oh, I can fit it in my schedule”? Well, vastly many more people are dying, but, frankly, even those who incessantly say they care on this site, or at my workplace, are just spewing pure bullshit. Their non-action speaks far more clearly that they don’t give a flying fuck for the people of Iraq or the fate of their own country.
I am going, at this point by myself, to Sheehan’s march DC tomorrow.
conscience July 22nd, 2007 1:07 pm
The picture is beautiful —
Thank you Maine — !!!!
However, it should be IMPEACH for PEACE –
PJD July 22nd, 2007 1:08 pm
And if you need some more motivation, please visit Faiza’s Iraq blog here:
afamilyinbaghdad.blogspot.com
ellydozer July 22nd, 2007 3:04 pm
mabey its more important that people outside the US see this image.
SkySonja July 22nd, 2007 3:32 pm
Every peaceful effort, however small, is valuable.
SallyH July 22nd, 2007 4:56 pm
Portland, Maine is a great city!!! Home to people like Eli Parisier of MoveOn.org and former Congressman Tom Andrews of WinWithoutWar. And home to CommonDreams.org! |
