Is This Heaven?

by Mike Palecek


No. It's Iowa.

Iowa in the fall and I can see how it could be confusing.

I received my copies of "Cost of Freedom."

Wow.

Sure. I'm one of the co-editors, and I would say wow, right?

But COF is definitely a wow book.

It is a coffee-table style book with lots of photos and great stories. Order the deluxe version - more color photos - it is absolutely worth it.

You won't get this kind of quality, truthful, passionate coverage from either mainstream book publishers or mainstream newspapers, television, magazines.

But you do get it from Michael Annis and Howling Dog Press. We owe Michael so much for this incredible contribution.

Wow.

Wow.

"Cost of Freedom" is a collection of stories of peace groups and individuals around the country who have been fighting the good fight against bad Bush all these years.

It has been recommended by Thom Hartmann of Air America, Harry Belafonte, Ralph Nader, Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Clark.

Here is the COF website: http://costoffreedombook.blogspot.com

Write to Michael Annis and reserve your personal copy: writingdangerously@msn.com

There is a need to get out the word about COF. It really is a celebration of resistance to the despot George Bush.

Whitney Trettien, a grad student at MIT, is the other co-editor of the book.

We need to get the book into all the progressive, neighborhood bookstores around the country.

We need to get Whitney on the radio, Pacifica, public radio, all the places where she can tell the story of the awesome folks in the American peace movement.

Contact Whitney at: wtrettien@yahoo.com.

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Also ... I want to go on another book tour in the spring. If you know of a bookstore or a group that might be interested in having me come talk, give me a holler.

Thanks.

seeya

- Mike

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From "Cost of Freedom":


How To Explain the War to Your Children

by Antler, from Wisconsin

Show them the corpses of Iraqi children
killed by our guns
and say
"This is necessary for their freedom."

Show them the corpses of Iraqi mothers and fathers
killed by our bombs
and say
"This is necessary for their freedom."

Play them as they pledge allegiance to the flag
the tape recording of wounded soldiers on the battlefield
crying for their mothers.

Play them as they say their prayers in church
the tape recording of wounded children
buried under rubble of their homes
blown up by our precision missiles
crying for their mothers.

Show them the grade school middle school high school
close-ups of all the different kind of wounds
on dead soldiers on both sides
and wounds of soldiers who'll survive
only to kill themselves, their wives and children later.

Hand out brand-new crayons
and tell them to do portraits of the wounds
to illustrate calendars to be sold at bake sales
to provide money to keep their schools and hospitals open.

Put your son's puppy in the microwave on high till it explodes
and scream, "We must stop them from doing this!"

Run over the head of your daughter's favorite doll
with your new car
and scream, "We must stop them from doing this!"

Explain experts concur authorities insist our leaders assure us
our generals debrief us our opinion polls accurately report
the majority of us believe
our priests ministers rabbis imams shamans
at the baptism of every baby
must say to the baby and mother
and entire congregation

"The only way we can guarantee our freedom
is for a certain number of innocent babies like you
to grow up and learn how to kill
with your bare hands
and with the best weapons money can buy
for unless a certain number of little babies like you
become skilled killers
what hope is there for the dream
of the irresistible coming of utopias of freedom
throughout our Galaxy, let alone America?"

And if your children still ask why,
send them to ventriloquist school
so they can learn to make
the cries of wounded soldiers and children
come from life-like dummies
of wounded soldiers and children
sitting on their knees for freedom.

And if your children won't stop asking why,
light a candle next to your open Bible with a
gun on it,
blindfold them with the American flag,
duct tape their mouths shut
and slit their throats
till from the gaping open wound
that's shaped like a smile
the sound of air escaping
from terrified agonized lungs
that will never take another breath
tells all the children of the future
"Victory was ours for freedom!"