from the people's front lines * From: Dan Scanlan <__________________
Midge is a friend who is an active veteran for peace. Here is her latest report.... ------------- Yesterday, I was in yet another Congressional hearing to remind our elected representatives that they have an obligation to listen to the American people who voted to end the war in Iraq, bring the troops home and to take care of those soldiers when they get here. I attended a House Appropriation Defense sub-committe hearing about the Army's portion of the Iraq War supplemental funding. I was allowed to stand in the back of the room with a shirt that said "NO $$$ for WAR". I was silent throught most of the hearing, but often made hand gestures such as thumbs up, thumbs down, peace signs, or clapping motions. At end of the hearing, before Rep. Murtha (D - NY) could say adjourned, I spoke up (as if it were my turn as a U.S. Congresswoman) and asked a direct question to General Schoomaker, "General, why is the Army returning soldiers to the battlefield without treament for post traumatic stress, and how do you think that effects military readiness..." then I added, "Mr Chairman, I yield back the rest of my time!" I think that last line caught all the Representatives off guard... while I was speaking Murtha was shaking his finger at me and saying, "Ma'am, ma'am" but he never banged his gavel or made a move to remove me from the hearing. Of course, he quickly adjourned after that. I felt like I was applying my own priciples of "Direct Democracy" in an entirely new way. I mean, since I didn't have any representation in that hearing (Roy Blunt wasn't on that committee), why shouldn't I be allowed to represent myself.? The neatest part was that I got to see that hearing on C-Span last night and hear my comments... that's the first time I actually got to see the results of one of my actions on C-Span although I have seen many of my friends like Ann Wright, Zool, and Gael interrupting hearings from time to time. At the same time as that was going on, several members of CodePINK were in the Senate Armed Services committe hearing on pre-war intelligence. Many of them wore messages on their shirts as well. Apparently, it was a very informative hearing. Here is a report from my friend Lori Perdue <http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=59896394&bl ogID=228391597&Mytoken=1B2DA419-01A9-4C9A-A517899935A36B7654036043> --------------------------------------- The day before that, I took the morning off and did not attend any hearings... I was saving my energy for the action I had planned to do later that afternoon at the WAR-Tech Fair. but several members of CodePINK were in the Senate hearing where Condoleeza Rice was testifying, and Medea Benjamin was photographed for the cover of The Hill Newspaper holding up a sign that said "NO IRAN WAR" behind Condi. In the afternoon on Thursday, I attended the WAR-Tech Fair which was being held in the Dierksen Senate office building. There were quite a few of us CodePINK ladies there bearing stickers that said "Arms are for hugging"... so we sang a little song about it and tried to give everyone in the room hugs... it was kind of funny. But the event itself was not funny at all... senate staffers and others appeared to be having fun trying all the high-tech exhibits which included robotic fighting machines and mock missle launchers with which you could shoot dummy people in the balcony. There were also about a dozen video screens where participants could "train" for missions in Iraq... these were the same kind of "first-person shooter" video games that the Army sends to 16 year olds everyday in their military recruitment efforts. So, I had a plan of my own in order to remind people that these higg-tech gadgets were not toys, but killing machines. I came prepared with a t-shirt under my jacket that said, "INNOCENT CIVILLIAN KILLED IN IRAQ" and also had prepared a packet of "blood" (Corn Syrup and red food coloring). In the middle of the WAR-Tech show I suddenly popped my blood-packet and fell to the ground and posed as if I were dead with my eyes wide open and my tongue hanging out. Lori Perdue was my voice and started announcing to the crownd that "this is what happens everyday in Iraq... a hundred times over... these are killing machines." Of course, the Capitol Police reacted pretty quickly... ran over and told me to get up... they were kind of freaked out and asked Gael Murphy if I was okay because I looked fucked up with "blood" soaking my shirt and oozing out onto the floor... I felt somebody take my pulse. One of the cops said he was going to give me three warnings then I would be arrested... so, I got up on the second warning hopping to avoid arrest. The police detained me for about 15 minutes and debated on charging me with "property destruction" because the "blood was all over the carpet... they didn't believe me that it was just corn syrup... however, Medea & Sonia and other CodePINKers acted quick to grab napkins and clean up the mess despite police orders to leave it be... thanks ladies. Finally, I was escorted out of the building and released... satisfied that I had made an impression on those attending the event, I went home to clean myself up... I was a bloody mess! A lot has happened this week... Monday, I got arrested with 9 others including 2 time Nobel Peace Prize nominnee, Kathy Kelly. <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CommunityDrum/post?referer=/group/CommunityDr um/&use_rte=1> ------------ Tuesday, I spent most of the day in DC Superior Court supporting Eve Tatez and Ellen Barfield who were the only two of us arrested monday that were made to stay in DC Central Detention Center over night because they both have other pending civil disobedience cases. They are both going to fight the charge of Unlawful Assembly, and will be in court for trial March 8th. The coolest part was when the judged told Eve, age 75, that if she got arrested again before her court dates that she would have to stay in jail... Eve replied that she could not promise that because if the U.S. attacks Iran she will probably commit some act of civil disobedience... the judged tried not to laugh, and asserting his authority replied that she better take him seriously, but Eve kept staying that she could not stand idly by while innocent women & children are killed. She is my hero of the week!!! ------------ Wednesday, 8 of us CodePINK women represented our anti-war views in a House Armed Services hearing, while at the same time Dave Barrows was single handedly disrupting that day's Condoleeza Rice testimony with a chant of "N MORE TORTURE, NO MORE LIES!" The Washington Post wrote a good story about the CodePINK action inside the Armed Services hearing: At Iraq Hearing, Protest Shushed But Not Halted WASHINGTON POST Thursday, February 8, 2007; Page A19 Pink-clad war protesters applauded, chimed in repeatedly and stood for hours in the back row holding up peace signs -- but were only mildly chastised yesterday by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton <http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/s000465/> (D-Mo.) at a hearing with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Continue reading this article... <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/07/AR200702070 2209.html> ------------ Well, that's about it... there is actually a lot more that happened of which I will probably blog more later including a chance encounter with my own Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill in the halls of the Hart Senate office building. What I have detailed here is just the tip of the iceberg... besides the direct actions going on insdie Congressional hearings, there have been many more people wandering the halls of Congress lobbying the Representatives directly via meetings scheduled and unscheduled. Stay tuned... next week The Occupation Project will continue, and many of us hope to keep up this sustained presence in the committee rooms of our nations capitol! Peace & Freedom, Midge _ _______________________________________________ Marxism-Thaxis mailing list Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis
