Organizing, Attack on Fallujah Protest, Love Workshop
Ariel and I wake up dreaming about voting and talking to Bush... surprise, surprise. In fact, we have rarely risen without the cloud of the night's nightmares featuring political officials and various renditions of the election process. A few weeks ago, we dubbed this syndrome "PTSD": Presidential Trauma Stress Disorder.
Today, though, our dreams feature swimming pools and other personal characters and places. It is an overcast day in El Granada and we begin the behind-the-scenes work, which includes calls to Feinstein, Kerry- whose mailboxes are all full, and other political officials. I talk to Bush's office and report three issues: addressing a recount and voter fraud, bringing our troops home NOW, and refusing Bush's plan to select Dr. David Hager to head the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. The response was a generic "I'll report that to the president." The man also said that he hadn't heard any other voices for a recount, and that a presidential candidate would have to call for the recount.
Other revolutionary tasks of the day include: laundry, returning phone calls, and cleaning. Changing the world, one clean pair of trousers at a time.
Tonight there was a large protest against the attack on Falluja planned in San Francisco. Ariel and I went to the corner of Powell and Market and stand with a few hundred folks in protest of the day's attack on Fallujah. It turns out that the protest is predominately organized by International A.N.S.W.E.R., an organization which in my opinion takes a militant anger-based stance that comes accross as opposition only, and not a space for creating positive alternative solutions. I also feel that ANSWER protesters often confuse issues and ideological themes to the point of blindness. For example, at this protest, I saw anti-imperialism posters with swasticas and I saw a sign that read: "Stalin, Hitler, Bush." There you have a communist dictator, a fascist leader, and a democratic president; while they might share some similar leadership strategies or personality traits, they are not easily equatable. This sort of thing reminds me of the pro-choice women's march in D.C. last spring, where I saw the anti-march anti-choice Christian fundamentalists lining the side of the road holding a large poster that showed pictures of concentration camps in Nazi Germany, Japanese internment camps, Osama Bin Laden, and a severed fetus. These kind of brash comparisons lose credibility for movements in my eyes.
The protest marched down Market Street, around the corner, on Mission St., and back to Market. I was wholly unimpressed with the event because I don't feel like it garnished, or even warranted, much attention. Protests happen all the time in California, in San Francisco specifically, and the scale wasn't that large, so there was no reason for the media to pay extra special attention to us.
What I did get out of going was something of very great worth, though. I walked away with a rejuvinated passion for creative civil disobedience and actions, for thinking outside the box. This led me to think that maybe we could get some of the huge posters hanging in storefront display windows to make posters on, once the shops were done with them. Ariel and I proceeded to go to Old Slavey- and absolute NO, American Eagle- no on the basis of model contract issues, Abercrombie and Fitch- yes but they just threw out all their posters, and finally, Sephora, the make-up and perfume shop. At Sephora we met a super friendly make-up artist who went in the back and emerged with huge HOT PINK satin, pillowy, magnetic, posterboards for us to take for free!!
Also, we shared in the march with Andrea, an amazing Codepink organizer that Ariel worked with in Florida, and Charles, the co-founder of what could become the Pink Panthers.
After the protest, Ariel and I drove to Good Vibrations in Berkeley and went to a radical love workshop by Wendy O-Matik (check out www.wendyomatik.com). Wendy's words about love, open relationships, making love to the world, jealousy, and compassion are food for me to keep challenging my preconceived ideas about connecting with people, and to keep struggling to find my voice in this patriarchal society. Attending her workshop for the second time was like refueling my spirit. And being there with two people who I love very much- Ariel and Tzadik- was a blessing.
After we emerged from Good Vibes, the sky opened up and showered us with water kisses. We drove home in the pouring rain- a ceremony, to be sure.
Today, though, our dreams feature swimming pools and other personal characters and places. It is an overcast day in El Granada and we begin the behind-the-scenes work, which includes calls to Feinstein, Kerry- whose mailboxes are all full, and other political officials. I talk to Bush's office and report three issues: addressing a recount and voter fraud, bringing our troops home NOW, and refusing Bush's plan to select Dr. David Hager to head the FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee. The response was a generic "I'll report that to the president." The man also said that he hadn't heard any other voices for a recount, and that a presidential candidate would have to call for the recount.
Other revolutionary tasks of the day include: laundry, returning phone calls, and cleaning. Changing the world, one clean pair of trousers at a time.
Tonight there was a large protest against the attack on Falluja planned in San Francisco. Ariel and I went to the corner of Powell and Market and stand with a few hundred folks in protest of the day's attack on Fallujah. It turns out that the protest is predominately organized by International A.N.S.W.E.R., an organization which in my opinion takes a militant anger-based stance that comes accross as opposition only, and not a space for creating positive alternative solutions. I also feel that ANSWER protesters often confuse issues and ideological themes to the point of blindness. For example, at this protest, I saw anti-imperialism posters with swasticas and I saw a sign that read: "Stalin, Hitler, Bush." There you have a communist dictator, a fascist leader, and a democratic president; while they might share some similar leadership strategies or personality traits, they are not easily equatable. This sort of thing reminds me of the pro-choice women's march in D.C. last spring, where I saw the anti-march anti-choice Christian fundamentalists lining the side of the road holding a large poster that showed pictures of concentration camps in Nazi Germany, Japanese internment camps, Osama Bin Laden, and a severed fetus. These kind of brash comparisons lose credibility for movements in my eyes.
The protest marched down Market Street, around the corner, on Mission St., and back to Market. I was wholly unimpressed with the event because I don't feel like it garnished, or even warranted, much attention. Protests happen all the time in California, in San Francisco specifically, and the scale wasn't that large, so there was no reason for the media to pay extra special attention to us.
What I did get out of going was something of very great worth, though. I walked away with a rejuvinated passion for creative civil disobedience and actions, for thinking outside the box. This led me to think that maybe we could get some of the huge posters hanging in storefront display windows to make posters on, once the shops were done with them. Ariel and I proceeded to go to Old Slavey- and absolute NO, American Eagle- no on the basis of model contract issues, Abercrombie and Fitch- yes but they just threw out all their posters, and finally, Sephora, the make-up and perfume shop. At Sephora we met a super friendly make-up artist who went in the back and emerged with huge HOT PINK satin, pillowy, magnetic, posterboards for us to take for free!!
Also, we shared in the march with Andrea, an amazing Codepink organizer that Ariel worked with in Florida, and Charles, the co-founder of what could become the Pink Panthers.
After the protest, Ariel and I drove to Good Vibrations in Berkeley and went to a radical love workshop by Wendy O-Matik (check out www.wendyomatik.com). Wendy's words about love, open relationships, making love to the world, jealousy, and compassion are food for me to keep challenging my preconceived ideas about connecting with people, and to keep struggling to find my voice in this patriarchal society. Attending her workshop for the second time was like refueling my spirit. And being there with two people who I love very much- Ariel and Tzadik- was a blessing.
After we emerged from Good Vibes, the sky opened up and showered us with water kisses. We drove home in the pouring rain- a ceremony, to be sure.
posted by rae @ 1:01 PM
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