On Friday, during the 5 pm news on KPFT, the local Pacifica station, they ran a story that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee was organizing a meeting and a march. Call to RSVP they said. So I did.
The bad news first or the good news? How about bad, good, bad/hope?
join me across the fold
The bad news was that it was the same faces as have been at rallys since before the war began. Mostly, like me, on the downhill side of middle age. Where are the young? Probably 20% of the audience protested the war in Viet Nam. We're in the midst of an illegal, immoral war that's making us less safe and less free. Our nation has gone from a position of respect (at least still in some places) to one that is either despised for its actions, or pitied for its loss of the people power that made it great.
The good news is that she discussed a bill she'll be introducing that's kinda Nixonian and she discussed HR 508, after talks by a poli-sci prof from TSU, an impassioned guy from Vets for Peace, and a simultaneously heart-breaking and spine steeling talk by a Gold Star mom.
Yes, I said Nixonian in the last para--the Congresswoman is introducing the "Military Success in Iraq Act of 2007". The end game of the bill will be to say that we've achieved the objectives outlined in the Authorization to Use Military Force and for that reason the AUMF expires. Pretty cool--declare success and leave. Pretty Nixonian, eh?
HR 508 is where I believe we've got to push and push hard. 508 calls for military disengagement--including repeal of the AUMF, reconstruction, healthcare for vets, and a committee to review the origins and conduct of Operation Iraqi freedom.
As the Congresswoman started organizing the group to begin a short march, she said she wanted to have another gather in a month with thousands of people.
At the end of the march I approached the Congresswoman and I said "I've got two words for you to create a big crowd 'franking priviledge'". Her response was that email would be used including the names just gathered and I reemphasized "Congresswoman, you can put an invitation to the march in 680,000 mailboxes by using your franking priviledge". Her response? This is the final bad part--
"It can't appear to be used for frivolous purposes" she said.
My eyes bugged out like Ren (or was it Stimpy?)
"Frivolous? Madam is there anything more important than getting America on its feet discussing and then opposing this war?"
"Well of course it's important," blah, blah, blah.
A slip of the tongue? I hope so.
I hope that she, and every Congressperson who opposes this war will use their franking priviledge to call for a rally to discuss how to begin waging peace and to show our imposter-president what the people really think.
So do it--call your Congressperson and demand that they use their franking priviledge to mail invitations to a rally to discuss ending the war. What could be a more important use of that priviledge? Maybe that's what democracy looks like.