Yesterday, I diaried on our nascent effort to put forth impeachment resolutions in Rhode Island towns and the state's General Assembly. Kagro X asked,
"Could you tell us all how this meeting was conceived, organized, publicized and run?" The diary quickly scrolled off into the beyond, so here is my response to him, with some additional content, including
a link to Carl Sheeler's press conference speech at the State House on May 3rd.
Happy to oblige. We have an email listserv with about 80 members. We began with initial publicity through the listserv. A press release (which can be viewed
here was sent out to area newspapers, and a letter to the editor was also sent to many Rhode Island newspapers, including the Providence Journal. Here is the text of the letter:
Are you at all concerned for your children's future as citizens living in this country? Are you concerned with the current state of affairs and policies of the US? Are you at all uncomfortable with a President who sees nothing but endless war, who is currently contemplating the use nuclear weapons against Iran, while we remain bogged down in an endless war of attrition in Iraq, who sees himself as above the law, Congress, and the Courts? Are you concerned that the President lied to the American people about Iraq's nuclear weapons capability, chemical and biological weapons, and blindly led this nation into an illegal and unnecessary war with the loss of almost 2,500 good young Americans? Are you concerned that we are not allowed to honor our dead, nor are we allowed to view their caskets as they come home? Are you curious that the President who "supports the troops" has never been to a funeral of one of the returning fallen? Do you feel for the 20,000-30,000 young veterans who suffer from permanent disability because they "trusted and believed" their President's call to war? Are you concerned that American citizens who suffered through "Katrina" are still living in tents along the Gulf Coast because this nation can only afford war?
Grassroots democracy begins with neighbors who are concerned with the direction this nation has taken and the erosion of the Constitution. It is time for concerned neighbors to come together to discuss current policies, trends, and possible remedies of censure and impeachment, in a citizen's attempt to bring dignity to the executive branch of government. The purpose of this non-partisan citizens' initiative is to ensure the continuity of the Constitution and the preservation of the system of checks and balances, which has served this nation so well for the past two centuries.
Please join other concerned neighbors who will be meeting at the South Kingstown Neighborhood Guild, Columbia Street, Peace Dale on April 27, in Room 25 at 7:00 pm. We are privileged to live in a democracy, but with that privilege comes civic responsibility and duty. Our duty and responsibility is to leave our children and grandchildren a better nation than we inherited. Come help make that happen.
The letter referred people to our website, and was signed by representatives from three southern Rhode Island towns.
We also coordinated with other Rhode Island progressive groups, including the Newport-based Rhode Island Progressive League. Actually, Rhode Island has several other progressive groups that we hope to bring on board with this. The southern Rhode Island initiative is seen as a first step, but we have good relations with the Providence-based Rhode Island Community Coalition for Peace, the Rhode Island Peace Mission, East Bay Citizens for Peace...., so this bodes well for a coordinated larger effort to secure multiple local resolutions even as we pursue the passing of the resolution now before the General Assembly.
For Senate candidate Carl Sheeler's State House press conference yesterday regarding this latter resolution, a group of supporters and two television news teams were present. Again, the text of his speech can be found here. (The action set forth by Rhode Island progressive groups is non-partisan. No support of Carl Sheeler's candidacy is implied by these references. We whole-heartedly support his efforts to bring forth Articles of Impeachment.).
That's about where we stand right now. We will certainly keep Daily Kos posted on what we're doing.