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When we stand on our street corners, bridges, overpasses or protesting an event sometimes I wonder if this is all wasted effort. When it is cold or raining and maybe both, at times it seems like we do not make a difference in the world or do we? I always have people come up to me and say, "hey you are that guy who ran against **blumenauer" or talk about the chicken ads representing pelosi and blumenauer. One person came up to me and talked about the protest we did during blumenauer's 59th birthday party. Turns out, he was one of the security people who was stationed outside the restaurant where friends of the earlman were telling him how wonderful he was and we outside holding signs about his lying concerning not supporting the funding for the Iraq war. The security guy thought we were brave to confront a congressman and laughed at our songs we sang. Earl never did come out and call for the impeachment of cheney/bush and the rest of the war criminals. So, back to the question, does any of our actions matter?Just finished an article that should give you some good feelings, some more gas to get out into the streets:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/49861
Protest to me must be part of our daily routine, like eating, getting dressed, and going to a ballgame. Just make it part of what you do every day. Too tired to stand on a bridge and call for the arrest of the "rove," call your local congressional office and ask for accountability. Call a radio station, talk to your friends about your reps, get their names out there, teach people who they are and what they stand for. I think too often we get overwhelmed by the corporate media and feel we can't do anything---wrong.
When I read articles like this or hear from people who are in the streets, I know that we do make a difference and someday historians will look back and say, "These small demonstrations were the beginning of a collective awareness of what was happening during "The shame and insanity of Washington, DC."
Veteran arrested in Portland, Or.
I have to go now, get dressed-eat a bit and go protest at the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and maybe have a mocha. Activism should not be a chore; it should be fun, exciting and fulfilling. When you feel alone re-read the above article and feel our presence!
For Justice,Peace and *Laughter,
Joe Walsh-Lone Vet
Individuals for Justice
Veterans Against Torture
* Why laughter?? Because without it I would have gone insane years ago.
**Refuse to capitalize due to disrespect/disappointment or both
Sen. ** harry reid must be replaced as Majority Leader, call me when you agree or just go away!
An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.
Mohandas Gandhi
"But you must pay for conformity. All goes well as long as you run with conformists. But you, who are honest men in other particulars, know, that there is alive somewhere a man whose honesty reaches to this point also, that he shall not kneel to false gods, and, on the day when you meet him, you sink into the class of counterfeits."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
