As the house began to debate the $100 billion Supplemental Bill on the floor of Congress, four CODEPINKers were arrested taking over Speaker Pelosi’s office. As they held up images of the American soldiers killed this month in Iraq and chanted “stop funding the war,” police moved in and arrested four CODEPINK representatives: Eve Tetaz from DC, Desiree Fairooz from Arlington, Texas, Janine Bonaparte from Marin, CA, and David Barrows also from DC.
In her statement Medea Benjamin said: “If Pelosi—who was given a mandate for peace in the November election—buys this war, she owns this war. And what she owns is 3228 American soldiers killed, and those soldiers, those sons who will be killed as the war rages on.”
During the action at Pelosi's office, we held up banners that read "Pelosi, be a leader for peace" and "Pelosi, Don't Buy Bush's War". We also had a large banner with a donkey that said "Pin the War on the Donkey" and tails reading "War" "Torture" "War Profiteering" and more.
At one point, while we were speaking with the abundant crowd of reporters, we held up photos of soldiers who have been killed in the war, attached with a string. A police officer immediately snatched the photos and said they were a banner and not allowed in. We said that these were not a banner, these were the faces of the dead. Even the press looked horrified and snapped some photos of the ordeal. After putting away the pictures, we took out a newspaper with the faces of the dead printed in color and held it up. And we started crying. Not fake wailing. Not shouting. Just crying. Tears and tears and we couldn't help it, and I couldn't help it. And instead of reporters asking "Why are you here protesting?" or "What are you doing here today?" they asked me "Why are you crying?" And this is what I said:
I am crying because the Democrats' support of another $100 billion for the war means that thousands more kids my age will be killed--kid soldiers and Iraqi kids. Pelosi's support of Bush's request for money for war is a death sentence for thousands of kids. After weeks of cute, colorful, passionate actions in the halls of Congress, from caroling with the choir to valentine delivery to dog bones for Blue Dogs to pink aprons and brooms cleaning House, today was an action of a different tenor. I felt like the floodgates had come down and the halls of Congress were gushing with a bloody river. Maybe it sounds dramatic. But it felt like we were drowning in tears, in pain, in the realization of something very, very wrong. And the tragic part was that the two secretaries in Pelosi's office sat there chuckling and picking up phones, and the press liaison came out and answered reporter's questions with a blank face. My heart was pounding so loudly that I wondered why it didn't just crack the walls of the marble building. Those walls felt more sturdy and guarded than usual. How have our Democratic leaders become so enchanted by the Republican language? Pelosi has helped them back into a corner where Bush will emerge victorious. And the tragic thing is that they will tout this as a victory if it passes.
I visited Anna Eshoo's office after the action, and her press secretary tried to explain to me why Anna is going to vote for this supplemental. He gave me the analogy of a football game, where one must work strategically one play at a time to get the ball up the field to the goal. Here's why I think that's a bogus comparison: The compromise that Pelosi and the Dems are voting for is not one step towards peace; it is one step towards prolonging violence and destruction, and killing innocent lives for nothing. The press liaison listened patiently to my opinion, and then told me that we have the same goal, just different tactics. But I am quite certain now that we don't have the same goal. The Democrats want to win. I want to see the killing stop. I want to welcome our soldiers home with open arms and fully equipped medical services. I want to see justice done to the administration. The Democrats, well, they want to win--this vote, the election in '08, the power. If Pelosi would have just come out and said, "Look, I know that this bill (or ammendment like Lee's) may fail, but I am going to take this stand because I believe in the courage of my convictions, because I am more committed to the will of my constituents and the integrity of justice." But we'll never get to find out what Dems would have done if the supplemental had been straight with Bush's desires. And now it's a mess.
To learn more about CODEPINK's efforts to create peace, please go to www.dontbuybushswar.org
www.codepinkalert.org
CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. CODEPINK rejects the Bush administration's fear-based politics that justify violence, and instead calls for policies based on compassion, kindness and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.
Agreed, the only option available to Congress is to not approve funding, with no strings attached. Will de-funding the war bring peace? The only hope for peace is stability and security. Will not funding the war bring stability and security? That's the question. What is the best way to bring about these conditions? We have managed to create yet another third world country with death squads and a living hell for ordinary people, while just about everyone hopes that someday they will awaken from the nightmare and return to the 20th Century. Heck of a job, Brownie. And while we are pensive, maybe we should reconsider supporting the use of land mines.
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Bernard (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 53 comments)
on Friday, March 23, 2007 at 3:38:26 PM
They believe, by twisting the truth to please the big corporations and thus getting the contributions that are their objective, they can bury their guilt for the horrors this continuity of the Iraqi war will bring upon the world. Perhaps they think they can convince the voters that they are doing their job and thus wash the blood and horror from their hands. We can't let them get away with it.
By voting for this continuity of this immoral, illegal war they need to know that each of them who has voted for this $100 billion is responsible personally, for every child who comes to the bombed out shelters that pass for a hospital holding its eyes in its hands, forever blind, staring from the holes that will be theirs forever.
Any Congressperson who voted for this travesty of justice is responsible: for every one of the thousands of children forced into the hell that is the life of a child prostitute, very one of our representatives who voted for this bill carries to their death their complicity in this ugly crime and we must not let them forget it for a day. On the U.S. side, they are responsible for every citizen lacking medical coverage, every medical bill they can't pay, for every closure, every underfunded eduction facility, for every related bankruptcy, they are heretofore responsible and WE MUST NOT LET THEM FORGET IT FOR A DAY.
We do not a country powered by "Democrats." We need leaders motivated by issues of justice and peace. What they are called won't make any difference. WE MUST NEVER LET THESE MISGUIDED WORMS forget the burden of pain and inhumanity and injustice they will carry in their pockets to their death.
Is it possible that the institutions for torture which they are ignoring, rather than destroying, will have a motive for existence?
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emily horswill (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 64 comments)
on Friday, March 23, 2007 at 6:18:19 PM
ROFLMAO! OMG How funny,so Looney Toons,Mental Midget Two Face Sell Out Madame Speaker Non Binding Nancy Pelosi Found Out That She Is Not King George 43 Queen! If San Francisco Democrats had even one working good braincell left between all of thme,then they would Recall Ding a Ling Madame Non Binding Nancy Pelosi for Her and Sen. Harmless Harry Reid taking Impeachment of Liar in Chief Foul Up George W Bush and Vice Liar Psycho Draft Dodger Delusional Dick Cheney Off Table And which is still the fastest way to end Bush & Cheney's Nightmare Bloodbath Costly Deadly Endless War in Iraq and Afghanistan! Yp Your Doing a Heck Of Job Here Old Non Binding Nancy Pelosi and Harmless Harry Reid And Yellow Coward Democrats! We Need To Vote Every Incumbent Democrat and Republican Out Of Office in 2008 Before Bush,.Cheney and Pelosi take away our right to vote next! If anyone thinks Non Binding Nancy is going to end the War in Iraq then I got this bridge in Brooklyn I can sell them real cheap! Throw Non Binding Nancy and Harmless Harry and Steny The Cockroach Out Now!
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Ralph (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 74 comments)
on Saturday, March 24, 2007 at 11:52:38 PM
