pictures

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concert of a life time

Jeff and I had a great afternoon going to the inauguration concert. Joan Walsh (my heroine for all things editorialized) from Salon wrote a great piece about the event. Please read it because I couldn't do any better describing the afternoon than she did.

My favorite part of the night was when we got to see shots of the 1st family. Malia and Sasha could not have been cuter. Bono was my favorite just because he so embodies the hope we have as a country right now. (When he mentioned that even Palestinians can have hope -- my heart fluttered)  Garth Brooks was the best performer and got everyone riled up with "Shout" -- tons of fun.

Jeff and I were pretty tired afterwards so we skipped out on my friend's pre inaugural semi-formal party. Also the idea of walking through DC in heels was not especially appealing.... I think we're getting old.   I'm sure the party was tons of fun and know that we would've had an amazing time but the older I get the happier I am snuggling in my pjs with Jeff on the couch.

Other than the inauguration tomorrow -- this might be the most historic event Jeff and I will ever go to.  Memories of the March on Washington were conjured up and I can't help feeling as though I was part of something just as important -- especially when Barack Obama mentioned that despite the foundational memorials to Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt surrounding us on all sides, that the most crucial to the change we wish to seek now was what filled the spaces in between.  Us. Me and all the people we were snuggled up with on either side of the reflecting pool.

It's times like these that make me sentimental.  I can't help but think of my own grandparents and great grandparents -- people born in poverty -- as farmers, sharecroppers in Alabama.  They certainly were not perfect, born in their time and place, they were embedded in racism.  And now their granddaughter or great granddaughter-- who has never lacked for money -- is celebrating the first black president of the United States.  

Despite all the fundamental differences I have with my ancestors, I am a product of of them as well.  They are the ones that helped shape my deep sense of connectivity with humanity and the earth.  They are the ones that taught my parents to love me and raise me in a way that is open to different ideas and worldviews. 

Yes, much has changed -- but change embedded in the unchanging ideas of love, respect, and openness to possibilities. 

this is us on our way to the Lincoln Memorial.  We have about 10 layers on between the two of us.  Those who were extremely jealous and wishing us frostbite will be disappointed.  We were quite toasty. :-)

On our way there were tons of merchandise -- and people were  gobbling it up.  


This was Jeff's viewpoint of the memorial.  Needless to say, I was thankful for the jumbo trons.  None of that mattered though -- just being part of the electric buzz was good enough for me.


cute.



Garth Brooks leading us in a resounding song of "Shout!"

Sign petition to release shoe thrower from prison!

Here is a post that my brilliant friend and coworker, Kate, wrote yesterday about the journalist who threw his shoes at GW. Please read her post which was originally posted on Of Peace and Politics (the FCNL intern blog) and then sign the petition to release Zeidi from jail.

12.16.2008
SIGN PETITION TO RELEASE SHOE THROWER FROM PRISON!

Perhaps the world's most famous shoe-thrower, Muntadhar al-Zeidi is in prison in an "undisclosed location", not authorized to talk to press, and could face seven years in prison for what the White House calls an "audience interruption".

Al Baghdadiya, the TV channel that Zeidi worked for, has reported that an Iraqi parliamentarian has confirmed that Zeidi's hand was broken in jail. (Thanks to Raed Jarrar for the translation. Check back on his blog for more updates.

As to that previous anonymous question asking "what was he trying to accomplish?". The simple answer is in every major paper in the world...when has the U.S. media ever given so much attention to an act of protest by an individual Iraqi?. Iraqis have held countless nonviolent protests, many million person marches, and the vast majority have lived in silent non-violent resistance everyday for almost six years--but of course nothing has ever consumed the headlines like this.

This is the story of an Iraqi journalist reporting from Iraq--one of the few brave souls who would dare to do so in the country where according to Reporters without Borders, more journalists have been killed than other country in the world since WWII.

Zeidi reported from the U.S. onslaught of the air bombing of Sadr City last spring. Sadr City is roughly half the size of Manhattan, or the same size as Southeast DC. Unlike either, this area of Baghdad houses more than 3 million Iraqis. It is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet--denser than Calcutta, Gaza, Rio, or some of the other world's worst slums.

Now imagine you are in such a place and you watch bombs falling from the sky. How do you make sure that no civilians get killed when bombs are dropped on six story buildings with tight alleyways?

You don't.



This two year old boy was killed from an air strike in Sadr City. More than 900 civilians were killed in 6 weeks of clashes between the U.S. backed Iraqi army and the anti-occupation militia of Moqtada al-Sadr's--that's about 150 each week. (Pretty average death toll for the whole of Iraq per week these days.) The official U.S. response to the child's death: “The sole burden of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the militants who care nothing for the Iraqi people."

There is absolutely no way to avoid killing civilians when bombing such a heavily populated area--I don't care how "smart" your bombs are. When Zeidi was reporting from this area of massive civilian casualties, friends of Zeidi said it "emotionally influenced" him. Other experiences that made a lasting impact on his political views included being kidnapped twice--once by a Sunni militant group and then later detained by American soldiers.

"He hates the American physical occupation as much as he hates the Iranian moral occupation," Dhirgham said, alluding to the influence of pro-Iranian Shiite clerics in political and social life. "As for Iran, he considers the regime to be the other side of the American coin."

If you don't think that someone should face potentially seven years in prison for throwing a shoe at Bush, if you believe that there is a good reason why journalism is the only career protected by the U.S. Constitution, if you believe that a journalist's hand--the most important tool of freedom of speech--should not be crushed join Noam Chomsky in signing this petition to the Iraqi embassy to free Zeidi. (No joke--not a forgery).

Raed Jarrar will be hand delivering the petition to the Iraqi embassy, so in the meantime spread the word far and wide to gather more signatures to protect the freedom of speech in Iraq.

Thanksgiving in pictures

Outreach International's video

Outreach International has their new campaign out and it's amazing. Check it out.

Now build a movement

A week has gone by since the election and it seems like everyone is settling in to the idea that we actually have a competent president for the next four years.

As someone who works to get politicians to help and protect the poor and downtrodden, I sincerely hope that the momentum that got Obama elected doesn't slow down. We still have a lot of work to do. And it makes a big difference when society is not indifferent to the many problems we still face in our society. The Friends Committee on National Legislation has their annual meeting this weekend and the front of their program has a big quote from FDR that says "You've elected me. Now build a movement to keep me accountable."

What a remarkable statement. And so true.

It's just an election, what could happen?

ok, i know that i haven't posted in FOREVER. But I cannot go without posting on this historical election. I'm so excited to be in DC with friends who work along side me with our members of Congress. This is one of those days that everyone will remember where they were on this election. Where will you be?

Here's the post I've posted on two other blogs before this one.

Today is a big day. Lines of people are weaving in an out of polling places. "I voted" stickers are the newest fashion accessory of the day. Radio stations, news channels, and blogs are all talking about the election non-stop. Websites like www.fivethirtyeight.com obsessively count and recount the polls and are predicting the winners of the various campaigns throughout the country. This is a pretty big deal (understatement of the year.)

I was watching the Daily Show the other night and Bill Kristol, conservative op-ed writer for the New York Times, muttered (jokingly?) “It’s just an election.” Jon Stewart looked flabbergasted and replied, “Yeah, it’s just an election, what could happen?” Truth is, the person in the White House for the next four years will have a lot of power. And yes Bill Kristol, a lot can happen.

What would I like to see happen, you ask? It would be great if the United States triple its aid to poorer nations and cancel their debts. I'd also hope for a decrease in those little foreign escapades of ours (un-fair trade, war, arms trade, etc) that come with "unintended" effects such as displacement, refugee camps, poverty, disease, civilian deaths, lack of education, lack of water, unfair labor practices, well....the list goes on. Oh, and lets just throw in justice for Native Americans as icing on the cake.

These just happen to be the issues that I live my life for -- and as I stood in line to vote the other day, I touched the name of the person on the computer screen who I thought would be more sympathetic to these issues.

The thing is -- I'm quite the realist and I doubt that whoever the next president will be, he will do enough for the poorest billion people. It would be political suicide for any U.S. politician to give so much time and effort to those who need it most.

That's why it's up to those of us who have no political aspirations to take part in the political process by making our leaders as accountable as possible. If you voted in this election, you took the first big step in the process -- but it's only one step.