I've been keeping my opinions more to myself lately.  It helps me think.  But I have to say that still something does not feel right about the course of this nation.  If I had been alive for the last hundred-sum years I would say the same thing probably all throughout.  So still with a democrat in the White House I won't fee right. 
   This occupation of Iraq is colonialism pure and clear and from a young age I was taught history -- not the whole truth but enough of it to be a moral person.  I was taught that the Europeans stole this land we stand on from it's natives.  Slaughtering, pillaging, raping, lying and breaking treaties in a way that would make all of us, with our horror movie culture, astounded and sick to the stomach.  I was taught that that was wrong.  Slavery, I was taught was wrong.  Hitler, invading nations for the glory of the German race and to the loss of all else, I was taught was wrong.  Even Vietnam, posthumously, 40 years later, is seen as a wrong endeavor and a shame to our proud "land of the free" idea we have here (started and maintained by Democrats at the top).  So when we unilaterally invade a sovereign nation which had not threatened us and we refuse to leave, building permanent military bases all over, along with the largest embassy in the world, for good reason isolated from the rest of Iraq  (I'm so sure that our ambassador will have great connections to Iraq's people) is this not colonialism???!  Because it's pretty clear that we ain't leaving.  How can we allow this?  Who will stop it if not Americans themselves?  Again, who will stop this grotesque violation of truth and honor and decency if not Americans themselves? 
   Wait there's democracy: where we have a hand in our nation at the voting booth!  Bingo!  But when you vote for a democrat, who makes no mention of this city within a city of an American embassy only serving up spin about leaving that means nothing of the sort since he'll still have troops there to "fight Al-Qaeda" and protect our interests (notice the bottom line is US) then you support the occupation of a once sovereign nation that was invaded by lies and lots and lots of guns. Those weren't just George W. Bush's guns.  Our tax dollars paid for them.  And our "good guys"(powerful democrats) take money from the corporations(G.E.) that make the weapons that kill men women and children in bunches like they're ________.  Wow these people, and you and me, have some serious blood on our hands considering our countries brutal foundation, Vietnam, Chile, Iran(in the seventies) Haiti (recently) and so, so many other evil creations for the sake of our society's fabric that have and continue to spit out the one way mouth.   We eat up all the flesh of the earth then tell everybody else how to live and not live.  
   I suppose that stopping Hitler was some good our military/industrial complex brought but now what's going on?  We are the invaders.  So lets wash the blood from our hands and do what people before us failed to do -- what's right.  Once and for all lets not accept that our nation is a usurping, lying, stealing, selfish beast with bows and sparkles and not accept the politicians that make it so!  But really the only way to make good on what Bush and company have done is to punish them and change the course of what they started.  The Democrats have done neither.  Well except for Dennis Kucinich who is trying to impeach him.    Nancy Pelosi stopped the impeachment movement, as if it was her choice, and she is second in line for the presidency so if Bush and Cheney were impeached then she would be our commander in chief.  How's that for the first female president!  What's stopping her from doing what's right?  Two letters:  G.E. 
   I say "Pelosi '08"!
   Anyway.  I support Ralph Nader because he is a brilliant man who's here and working for the good of us and humanity.  Even if you don't support what he's doing there's no excuse for not listening to what he says because it's the truth.  I know because I'm deprived of it every time I hear Barak Obama speak.  But Barak's just playing the game, right?  Once he's in there everything's gonna change because everyone knows that politicians give you more than what they promise?!?!?  I'm joking.

But just hear Ralph out:
www.votenader.org

For the article that sparked this entry by Noam Chompsky go here:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/opinion/2008/April/opinion_April10.xml&section=opinion&col=

Tags: complicity, impeachment, lies, silence
Current Mood: thankful

In New York tonight, thurs. The apathy is devastating. Millions of faces and not one soul. No one notices you here. Are there cameras everywhere? Is it fear that grips the big city?

We had at least the number we had tonight in most any of the small towns we've gone to. But even worse was that it seemed we got less response from the passerbys. Most just looked at us like we're wasting our time. Has all this been a waste of time? I thought maybe dictatorship wouldn't be so bad if we still got our I-Pods. That "more-than-half of Americans" who want Bush and Cheney impeached was too busy being bombarded with messages to pay us any mind. Fear and apathy. So do I try to shake them out of the glaze, or are they just voluntarily submiting to the oppressive system whilst I put myself in the cross-hairs? So I've been through the system and surley am past the point of no return. But it's not about me, I dont see any choice in the matter. Either we save our world from this grip of death or we go down into greater prisons and cardiac contraction. Only when you keep yourself awake by confronting the source of your disaffection do you realize how sad it can get -- for a long, long time -- if we shy from the great challenge I believe we are presented with at this hour. What are our recourses? Should we stock up on food and get armed? Is this a good time to count our possesions and be suspicious? No, I'd like to think of myself as being a slave of love. Or a soldier of love... and warning. But eat me just don't leave me to rot. On the plus side I'm meeting some of the most amazing people and we've made a great family, even if many go different ways.

I will talk about the arrest in Washington soon, but I'm busy and I want to write it well because there is much to say.

Sunday the 22nd, right?
Guess it's time to start counting days.  Those titles -- fri-day, mon-day -- don't make a difference on the road.  Here I sit in this rickety old Best Western on the outskirts of D.C. with a half cup of room-made coffee and non-dairy creamer.  I've got a heavyish head because last night I finally broke out of the caravan prison and got a ride downtown to have a little fun.  It felt better than the yoga I did yesterday, which felt very good, cause I've been stuck at the mercy of our drivers and relegated to the hotel and it's parking lot and all the industrial freeway grime that surrounds it.  We are alway far away from everything.  When we get around people, like at rallys and dinners they make, we do our business and leave as promptly as possible.  I guess it's whatever Cindy needs.  I suppose it keeps us on the ball and not having too much fun but my soul needs filling too.  There is little time to mingle with our passing compatriots in this so-called grass roots movement.
  Last night after the rally in Richmond, V.A. we got dinner at a Quaker meeting place.  At the rally I opened up.  The organizer, Chris, acted as my mic stand and I plugged in my guitar to small, one speaker P.A. that was about the size of a bowl.  The sharp, always abrasive, sound shot out and, trying to reach the microphone (continually moving away from me, as Chris had his mind on other things) I spit out "I DOn't Need No Democrat."  Good laughs.  Then I played the minor-key waltz of "When Will You LIsten" and then I was done.  No war lovers there, just nice small-town white liberals.  Cindy spoke and we were off.  No time for nothin'.  Except at the Quaker place where they made us a luxurious varietal meal.  Must've been six or seven courses, but who can eat that much?
  Having eaten, CIndy got up in front of us and the hosts and friends -- about 30 people -- and said, "It seems some didn't know that this journey was about impeachment..." as if some there had a problem with that!  Then she went over all the reasons: Spying on Americans, lying to get into war, grandiose continual failure in dealing with hurricane Katrina, pardoning of the patsy Libby, gross excessive executive signing statements meant to twart the power of our other branches of government, pushing for war with Iran (I heard we have now half of our military's Navy stationed around Iran), the May 9th presidential directive which gives us a literal fascist dictator in the case of a national emergency (nspd-51, hspd-20, i believe), and we think the tide will change after '08?   Fools we are.  Sorry democrats but revolution is the only thing that will save either party from implosion.  Votes don't work in a fascist dictatorship.  What else can we impeach them for, people?  Lets make a list.
  So yes,  I guess there were a lot of democrat loyalists there at the dinner and the rally -- God bless them.  I wonder how they took to my song.  The Rethuglicans will curse you if they don't like what you say, but the Democrats just smile and pat you on the head and say, "how cute you are, you'll grow up some day."  Rick came up with that name, by the way.  He also calls the blues "The Invertebrates".  I think this is appropriate.  How can we continue to fund this war that we know so well was based on lies and is just another step of european colonization of the middle east?  If you were living back when we were conquering the Americas and slaughtering the natives, or when we were pulling Africans from their homeland and forcing them to work, or else, on our plantations, would you do something to stop it?  Would you be complicit in this murder of morality?  Well it is happening now and you are complicit.  The white European virus is still alive and spreading faster than news of Justin Timberlake's new art piece.  And what we see now is the final step in their Wal-Mart-izing, McDonald feeding, cow killing-with disease, you-dumbing, global warming, acid thunderstorm of a society.  And the man with the business suit and a cell phone and a condo in the city above the Starbucks, watching Friends, is the angel of death working for the invisible, but very there, oligarcy, sitting in a diamond house on a high-up hill pushing buttons that siphon truth and light, in bulk, out of you and me, all to feed his insatiable, ravenous hunger to fill his endless black hole of a soul that came about thousands of years ago when some people figured out that they could live in decadence by separating themselves from the God that is all of humanity and lying and killing and enslaving the very source of all virtue to get there.  So, you see, it just gets worse.  But make no mistake, they can't live without this source of virtue, because it is all there is, unless you count illusion.  They can only kill it... and themselves.  Well I guess we can just jump on to another planet and then destroy that one... maybe.  But I have to believe that there is a better way for humankind.  Must we destroy our source of virtue: Mother Earth?  Can't we live in harmony with her and for a long time too?  Why do we need another planet?  Examine these issues internally and you'll find that your life is a constant contradiction.  Is that the way to be, and how much longer can we go like this?  Do you want your face to be one of the many to go down in the history of the cosmos as they that were too busy to save the milky way galaxy from a toxic waste fate?  Remember that the darkest hour is right before the sun rises.  Well, fellow humans, Gods... that sun rises with you.  Like He-man or She-Ra YOU HAVE THE POWER OF THE RISING SUN!   You are here, now, for a reason and it aint to work hard and fund the perpetual war machine.  Take that handle and let us bring that golden sun back to this blessed land.
  Tomorrow we occupy the congress till they arrest us.  I suggest you do something similar for if there was ever a time to impeach the president, it is now!  You know that damn well.  It is no mystery that this trip has, and will make a profound impact on me.  I will return a different person, but more myself than ever.  With the utmost respect to all my great freinds and family I hope you make changes (and make change happen) too so we can continue to relate.  You have the power.  Rise from your slumber and answer the call, ALLLLLLLLL!
With love and respect,
Daniel
p.s. I remembered a thing Cindy said in front of the packed mall in Charlottesville, directing the question to the Bush supporters she said, "Would you want Hillary Clinton to have this much power?"  They all moaned, "Noooooo."

Tags: no time to take with a grain of salt.
Current Mood: indescribable

  So it's been a while since I've gotten to post.  Sorry.  I'll just go directly to Charlotte, N.C.:  Many fumed counter protesters surrounding us. Cindy didn't arrive there w/ us for she was being interviewed on Hardball with Chris Matthews (if you didn't see it you should because it hit on many points).  Motorcycle men and your typical American right wingers around us and we, in the middle.  When we joined them there seemed to be little going on so I took it upon myself to get some music started.  Fascist Dictator is always in order when there's war lovers there.  Seems like they will happily sacrifice their middle class and their liberties in exchange for a good racist war.  They pretend to not hear.  I got good camera time though.  Followed was a speaker and some poetry and another song.  Everyone was waiting for Cindy to arrive.  When she did, we got word that she wasn't going to come down because the police weren't doing a good job separating the war people from the peace people.  Seems they were consorting, joking with them.  There was a brief moment when it seemed like she would come down to speak but she didn't.  She went with her feeling that it wasn't a safe environment and we had to respect that.  It wasn't a good situation so we choose our battles.  Now the media has a field day with it, calling her chicken and stuff.  The crowd was disappointed and us servants of the movement had to deal with it.  Oh well.  They should become their own Cindy Sheehan.   When sitting in the car waiting to leave an older man walks by and remarks, "Well, you had your fame in the camera."  Well... the whole wide world is watching.  After the rally we head over to a natural food mart which serves us great dinner.  Great conversation is had by all, too.
  Yesterday we were in Lynchberg, Va.  The rally started at some central area of the town.  Once again the counter protesters mingled on the outside of our circle.  Once we join the group I started playing "Give Peace A Chance", just the chorus -- no bumbling verse stuff.  Eventually we get the whole crowd doing it.  Inbetween the words I shout stuff like, "Say goodbye to your middle class under George Bush." and "Impeach ____." yelling directly at the counters, many young women, at the side.  The looks on the faces of these people of the apathetic town of Lynchberg made all our hardship seem like a litte scratch.  They were in awe and glory as we sang those simple but true words over and over and over and over again.  I just know that at least one of those war supporters was affected by this if not all of them in some deep, yet to be manifested way.  We marched out of the town square and through the main streets.  The counters followed.  We get to a park were the stage is a raised parking lot afront the base of a cliff.  Soon after the program starts, rain comes in.  The powerful words of Reverend Yearwood, a young black ex-air force now minister sear the area.  We are being drenched in water while yelling, "Power to the People!"  The counters seemed to be successful at, "De-port Cindy."  It seems to be more of a joke to them.  Everyone is drenched but the passion is so high we don't want to give up... but we must.  It was a memorable day.  We dried off at a church and soon headed off to the next venue.
  Today we were in Charlottesville, VA.  Now on board we have an impressive crew.  We've got Deborah Sweet, who is a founder of World Can't Wait.  I haven't talked to her much but she seems like a very nice, sensible person.  Reverend Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus is with us, speaking his powerful, moving monologue.  He has a very special connection to Cindy.  He told us the story today:  It was at some military assembly and he was supposed to speak for some reason.  Well, completely unexpected to all there, he said stuff like, "Who would Jesus Bomb" and pretty much comdemed the military and their murderous ways.  Now he was in the Air Force and you don't do that, obviously.  Everyone in the crowd was silent and uncomfortable.  I believe he is still in trial for this act and will be discharged.  But for this, he won a Martin Luther King something award.  So it was on April 4th, 2004, the 36th anniversary of MLK's death that he was being presented with it at a ceremony.  He said that while sitting there he felt an overwhelmingly heavy feeling overcome him, so much so that he didn't hear his name called.  He said that there was a moment where he could visualize the life go out of someone's hand and he knew that right then some soldiers has died.  They called his name a second time and he found himself just raising his fist in the air as some natural reflex to what he was experiencing inside.  He got up to the podium and said that he believed some soldiers had just died and prayed for them and their families.  For the next year he would tell this story of a sensation he'd felt waiting to recieve the MLK award.  Almost a year later he told it while this tall, blonde woman sat behind him.  She wept.  After she got done she went up to him and said, "Reverend Yearwood, my son Casey died on April 4th, 2004."  They just looked at each other not knowing what to say.  That was Cindy Sheehan.  So just to re-cap:  Casey Sheehan dies on 4/4/04 while a young minister feels it while recieving an MLK award for standing for peace and this is the 36th anniversary of MLK's death.  I guess this is the date that our young anti-war, pro-humanity movement was kicked off.  Now Cindy refers to Yearwood as her son and she, his mother.  This is how we know we're chosen, I suppose.  This is how we know we have a mighty force backing us in this match against Goliath.  
   David Swanson hosted us today at his house for lunch.  He is behind afterdowningstreet.com, a very good source of info.  We ate some rice and beans and asparagus in the park provided by Food Not Bombs.  We ate alongside homeless people.  Then we headed through a shopping district and to the rally.  I get up there and get myself in the program.  I play Fascist Dictator and then I Don't Need No Democrat which go well together since we are trying to build a movement about people and not the parties so awash in money.  Some poetry is had and I play something a little more soothing in We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For.  Some sing along.  There is a strong buzz in the air now.  The people are revved and ready to recieve.  Some sorround us in this outdoor shopping mall with signs that say "Support the War" and "Osama Thanks You."  Many more buch in to hear the great lineup of speakers: Cindy Sheehan, Reverend Yearwood, David Swanson (an impeachment expert) and Ray McGovern!  I get pulled into doing security, keeping people off the stage area.  No one likes the security guard.   One of our guards, some of which are ex-military men, tells me, "There's gonna come a time when the only thing that's gonna matter is gurading Cindy."  I guess that means in the case of a bar fight-like situation.  Peace can be a slippery thing to keep when two radically differing opinions gather in the same area.  Especially now when thing could change very soon in this country.  How can they support this war when they know it was based on lies, it's an illegal occupation of a country, we're killing hundreds of thousands of people -- innocent people.  I'm glad these people come out because they must care about their world, even if they're on the wrong side, as opposed to the masses of people who just shop and take their kids to hockey practice and act like us fighters for truth and justice for our nation are just a pain in the butt.  They must have no goddam clue about history and any of the struggles that got us the blessed world we live in today.  I say they deserve tyranny.  And that's what they are getting.
  So Ray McGovern, who if you don't know is a very important figure in modern American political history, google him, finishes speaking about impeachment, and we march through the crowd and through the mall.  Cindy leads alongside me and others on our voyage followed by many, many locals.  We keep chanting.  "All we are saying is impeach George Bush!"  People sit in courtyards and most show solidarity with us.  Most all.  So why can't we stop this crap???  We can and we will.
  Much love to my friends all over.  I'd like you to know that from this end there is much hope and much power.  We'll see what happens by Monday when we get to D.C.  We'll be occupying John Conyers office unless he issues articles of impeachment.  Call him and help him out.  Or call other reps.   I miss Austin.

Tags: call out the instigator
Current Mood: thirsty

   Go to impeachbush.org and sign the petition.  Both the Dick (Cheney) and the Tater (W) need to go.  We are trying to get one million signatures on the petition by the time we get to DC on the 23rd.  We have over nine-hundred and nine thousand now.  Impeachment is the constitutional remedy for corrupt misleaders.  If the Dems are serious about ending the war and restoring the constitution they would impeach and pull the troops.  I don't believe they are which is why we must fight them too.  But I hope Pelosi gets the message clear and puts Impeachment back on the table because I'd rather see Cindy an activist than a political campaigner.  But she'd make a great stateswoman too!
    IT WAS NEVER PELOSI'S PEROGATIVE TO TAKE IMPEACHMENT OFF (the table).  Why did she never ask the people what they wanted?  What arrogance on her part!  What self-centeredness these Democrats display when they expect us to support them while they give billions more for the war saying they want to end it.  How big is the new U.S. embassy in Iraq?  These people have no intention on leaving.  And we got there based on plain lies.  It is immoral for us to come out of this situation gaining anything.  This mis-leadership must be impeached immediately!  Why, you ask?  Go to:

afterdowningstreet.com 

and read Cindy's blogs and SIGN THE PETITION BY THE 23rd TO IMPEACH at:

impeachbush.org

and tell your friends.
Thank you.


   We woke up bright and early on Saturday in Columbus, Georgia and drove proudly down to Fort Benning where the newly named School of the Americas is located.  Here they teach torture and killing to be unleashed on Latin American society.  Cindy believes that it is a cancer on humanity.  There is a handful of Bush supporters and war lovers across the street from the entrance.   Rebel biker vets come together with white khaki wearin' suburbanites for the cause of killin' them rag heads.  We find out that we won't be able to assemble because we don't have a permit.  The Bush lovers do have a permit.  We made sure ahead of time that everybody would stay in the car until we get the signal to come out.  So waited and pondered what to do.  Cindy gets out and talks to the cop.  She somehow arranges it to where only fifteen of us can assemble on the sidewalk across the street from the entrance and across the driveway from the counter-protesters.  So we get out.  The news cameras are there.  She tells them that she's never gotten a permit and that she doesn't believe in them -- the first amendment provides for peaceful assembly.  She tells the cameras about the cancer that is The School of Americas and then we go to our free speech zone sidewalk.  I got my guitar and started with "Call out the instigator because there's something in the air" and Cindy talks a bit over the music.  When I'm done we go on to read the names of dead Iraqi's, many of them, and after each one we all, in unison, shout "Justice NOw!" or, "Impeach Bush", etc, etc ....  During the long process the Bush supporters chant "USA!, USA!" like this human experience is just one big football game.  They also had one that went "Torture or be tortured!"  After the names I went into my song "Oh how precious each and every little life is..." (which you can listen to at myspace.com/danielcioper called: "Key to the Universe") while we filed back to our cars.  A success!  We had some people join us: a couple black ladies and a couple khakis wearin' elders who just have a sense for human decency.  Driving out one of the war lovers shouted at us, "Tree huggers!" like a little mind would.  I'm like, what's wrong with trees?  Is she a tree hater then? I don't even look at them much at all.  I just maintain a reverent, solemn face and move right along.
  So we went on down the road for ATLANTA!  We fond our destination and it's like paradise.  It was a land trust so there was this huge back property with a stage and a fire pit.  It was comprised of several peoples back yards.  There were all kinds of gardens and shrubbery and free thinkers galore!  Guitars and singers played on the upper porch area. I played a little but was very tired.  In a few hours we had to get to this function at a local theatre.  Cindy was to talk before this play written by Howard Zinn.  To my ultimate delight,  Dede, Cindy's organizer, and Tiffany, Cindy's assistant, aked me to play before she came on.  So I got to open up for Cindy Sheehan!  I played "Fight The Powers That Be (for equality)" and Cindy said "Yea Daniel."  Rick did a great poem after me that got everyone riled up (rickburnley.com) and then Cindy got up to talk.  She told people to just not watch T.V. which made me happy and she said it was junk.  All the major networks were there and Cindy followed her comment on T.V. being junk with, "Present company included."  She's the real deal, and such a hoot.
We didn't stay for the play.  We wanted to relax.  An Atlanean, Dave, drove Rick and I there and after he took us to the Jimmy Carter library where there is said to be an energy vortex on the land in back.  It's a beautiful pond with lush trees and grass and a trickling creek.  T'was a misty evening and walking through the vortex made the hairs on your arm raise up.  General Sherman had his base on this land revered by the Indians as a sacred metaphisical stong spot.  I was in need of a good meditation.
  We arrive back at the house later than the others and there is demand for me to play songs.  Others are passing around the axe and a jolly good time is had by all.  I noticed that none of their music is political in the least, nor is it revolutionary.  And in a time like this what good is that?  So I play Fascist Dictator full and extended.  Didn't get a big sing-along going but still raised the issue which by the way is becoming more and more relevant by the minute.  Sorry, the song ain't dead yet... unfortunately, for those who enjoy privacy and freedom.  Sitting there with them, while they're obliterated, singing songs about how everything is all right kind of made me disgusted.  It was like I was back in Austin.  EVERYTHING IS NOT ALLRIGHT.  I don't want to put myself on some higher level because I'm doing this, because people have to work jobs to give us money so we can survive and do this, and they were beautiful people who probably have a positive effect on the world, but wat's the difference between numbing yourself on T.V. and sports, and alcohol and pot and music?  Either way, the fox is in the hen-house and most are going on like nothing's happening.  That has to change.
  Later in the evening one guy made a little speech praising us for what we're doing which redeemed a lot in my eyes.  It is our job, as inhabitants in the belly of the beast, to expose and end this gave, grave transgression inflicted upon humankind worldwide.  It is, perhaps, the first step toward permanent world unity.

"We were always taught that the evil ones lived across the sea.  What a shock it is to find out that they're ruling the land of the free."
-Rick Burnley (Camp Casey poet laueate)

We woke up the next morning, packed it up, and headed to church where our attendance was requested.  It was a Universalist church and there was this cool act with women dressed as plants doing a breathlike dance.  People told stories and everyone sang somewhat lame songs about peace and love.  Now I sit in the Best Western in Charlotte, N.C. on our day off.  A guy named Carlos Arredondo joined us last night.  He's been on Democracy NOw.  He has a moving car shrine with a coffin display honoring his son who was KIA in Iraq.  This is his activism.  I did an interview with Houston Indymedia and played "I Don't Need No Democrat" last night.  Watch for it.  I was craving mexican food yesteray so bad.  Burgers are all there is anywhere.  So I found this restaurant and it was superb!!  Bean and cactus burrito and ceviche.   Very satisfied.  In fact I'm gonna eat the leftovers for lunch right now.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Peace and Love,
Daniel

IMPEACH IMPEACH NOW!!!

Tags: nothing hits the spot like some good mex
Current Mood: rejuvenated

  No actions today.  Thankfully because of the date.  We are in Georgia now, Columbus Georgia where Fort Benning is.  Today is a chill day so we don't have to meet the press -- just make banners and such for tomorrow when we rally at the base.  Many don't want us here I assume.  When we entered the hotel two very young men in military uniforms were walking out of the hotel.  Our policy is to not engage -- especially today! 
   We drive in a four to six-car caravan and today I was in the last car having a conversation with the driver about political assasinations (by the way the talks with these people are great!) when he started to pull into the left lane and almost hit the car that was in his blind spot and caused it to swerve and tumble twice across the freeway and into the ditch.  If it were a second earlier it would have been hit by an oncoming car.  We pulled over the caravan down the road, conversed, and decided to go to the next exit were we washed off the peace sign and the "criminals" print on the glass.  The driver went back with someone else (not me) and met with 911.  It turned out they were not in the official report because the cars didn't make contact so it was ruled a on-car accident.  The passengers had bruises and contusions but no broken bones.  It's a blessing that no one died but was scary.  An alert?
  Wednesday we drove to New Orleans.  And by the way if you didn't figure it out, we're not walking much ecept for marches and rallys.  I found out we were just driving from location to location just after we left Crawford for Houston when I asked, "so when are we walking?"  There's not much time as it is.  
   We saw the Lower 9th Ward, all the destroyed houses, a little life.  Common Ground is a relief organization run by hippie types located near the base of the levee that broke.  They help the displaced people resist the government's interference into them moving back to their homes.  They are playing a "waiting game" with them hoping they will sell their property.  It's a huge land grab.   Many of those home owners are homeless sleeping in the parks of New Orleans for if they don't guard their property they might lose it.  National Guard military vehicles roam the streets "keeping the peace".  Did you know that after the hurricane there was only two feet of water around the 9th Ward.  So two days after the hurricane the poor home owners breathed a sigh of relief because they survived the storm.  That is when the levees broke and in 5 minutes 12 feet of water gushed through the neighborhood.  Two days after the storm!  Something like 1,200 or 1,600 people died there!  A barge is said to have busted the levee but people around there, based on witnesses hearing explosions, believe the levee was blown and the barge came busting through later.   I tell ya', the more you see first hand what's going on, the more your anger is sustained and fortified.  
  Before Common Ground we went to a different aid place where they feed people and rebuild houses.  Young hippies play a banjo and a flute-like thing on the ground and skinny old black dudes wander around the bare, dank building.  White hippie kids and some black families inhabit the 9th ward.  After Common Ground we went to some town square where a lot of homeless people of different races sit around.  They must be home owners.  Cindy did a talk and really gave them a whole lot of hope.  I held the banner.  Then at dusk we left for dinner at some guys house.
   We drove about 20 minutes into this thick, thick brush on the outskirts of the city.  Stick piles smoked in the ajacent yard.  The bayou lie behing the rickety house were mosquitos breed and crockodiles lurk.  Twas pretty cool but it got dark, we had a long, long day (I haven't had much time at all to write, much less get on the internet) and people were drinking and the place was just spooky.  We left having to turn down the burgers the guy was going to make for us.  I would have loved to have that kind of adventure but we were tired and in a wierd, foreign place and people had to find our way out of there.  We went and found the hotel reserved for us, famished.  New Orleans is a strange place, unless your a ghost.
  The next day we got up and left by 9am, much better than the 6am leaving time the night before, and drove to ALABAMA!  Montgomery -- that is.  All the southern homes and the confederate flags and statues of confederate heroes -- smelled like slavery.  We got out at the Capitol with the media awaiting and a couple war supporters.  Cindy talked and then a white clad blonde haired young republican confronted him very angrily.  Very very heated.  He said he loved George Bush (seemingly only because it pissed us off) and that Cindy was just a tool of the Democratic party.  Now she's planning on running against Nancy Pelosi as an independant.  How is that?  No sense dealing with those people. The confrontation got in the paper so now they don't want us to get angry.  The press then interviewed a couple of our peeps.  I was hoping they wouldn't talk to me for fear I'd say something stupid.  Cindy's got a hard, hard job.  Everywhere she goes people want to give her a piece of their mind and she has to talk.  Not many days off for her.  No shying from the spotlight.  No million dollars either. 
  So we then marched across the street to the Civil Rights Museum.  Very cool!  Many landmarks in the Civil Rights struggle are in a small radius of the museum downtown.  The circular fountain at the Capitol lawn used to have a slave trade ring located there.  In the museum there's a wall with names scrolling down randomly and you can enter yours in to symbolize your standing for conscience.  I got mine.
  We drove down the road to a corner where people were rallying.  There was about 15 and no counter protesters and some press.  One of our people, a short Irish scruffy spark named Rick, did some poems about the powers that be.  Very good.  Then I put myself in there with my guitar and played "Fight the Powers That Be".  I started with the second verse so it cut the song short -- not much response.  Then, to my delight, Cindy signaled me to play one more so I went right into "I Don't Need No Democrat".  The cameras pointed at me.  It was a good intro to my capabilities.  Next time I'll be more flamboyant.  Tomorrow they want me to play a song at The School of Americas before they read names of some Iraqis who've died.  I'm thinking I'll do "Key to the Universe" ("Oh how precious each and every little life, each and every little life is").  But I don't know if it'll be taken that I'm saying Iraqis are little lives.  If you listen to the lyrics you'd see that is what I'm not saying.
   Anyway, after the rally we went to a house nearby in the neighborhood with HUGE beautiful houses.  They had dinner and drinks and supportive people waiting.   I actually was sick of talking about the corrupted system then.  I just wanted to drink and eat but all those people wanted to know what it was like.  So you have to talk.  I got dinner and sat out on the back porch facing a beautiful back yard.  Cindy sat in a chair drinking beer as older well dressed rich white people sat intently sharing.  I sat in a chair opposite Cindy.  T'was wierd because they were soooo neat and white and Cindy and me and others are so regular if not scrubby hippie.  But they listened to everything she said (at one point Cindy said, "You know what I think about..." to which the eldest woman said, passionately, "I'd love to know!  I'm serious.").  They were enthralled.  By this point I was passed the star-struckness but I was really happy to be sitting around a table drinking and discussing things with her. Someone comes in and tells us a house two doors down has a banner out fron reading, "Give War a Chance".  So after only two beers we hit the road for our sleeping place, leaving mucho drinks and dessert and lots of stirred up liberals in our wake.  
  We drove about an hour to a big home in the country supplied by this guy.  The southern flowers smelled wonderful and the mosquitoes were down about 99% form New Orleans and Houston.  I immediately got my guitar out and played some with the poet, Rick, who also played guitar.  The old guys running this trip told us to keep it down.  They wanted to go to sleep.  I wanted to PLAY SOME DAMN GUITAR because I hadn't for a while and it was only 10 something and we didn't have to leave the next day until 10am.  We eventually moved away from the house and played a bit.  Those old guys are really stringent which is good because this is serious business.  They keep us in line and on schedule.  Still, I've gotta play a little guitar sometime to keep myself warmed up.  
  So tomorrow we go to The School of Americas on the Fort Benning military base which is where they train people to torture and topple populist Latin American democracies and such.  How American!
  Hope all is going well.  I'm getting smarter every day.  We an important duty to do.  The planet and humanity are at stake.  Do something yourself to help this broad, deep wave that is building across the nation and ultimately the world.  These people must be stopped.  It is completely immoral to hold on to any piece of Iraq or their resources especially considering the lies told to get us there.  Impeachment is only the first step.  But it is an important one and it is very, very possible.  Bush/Cheney and crew are criminals and any more time they get leading the most powerful country in the world is time they will be using to institute and proliferate their very evil plan.  Don't underestimate their wickedness and their persistence in this plan.  Do something.  Engage in conversation with family, friends, and co-workers.  Write the papers.  Wear a t-shirt.  This girl, Laurie, makes t-shirts that say "Arrest Bush" or "Arrest Cheney First".  These really go over well with the right-wingers.  Seriously!  Shé sells them on a donation basis.  She just wants to cover the cost.  I'll try to get her info out for y'all if you want one or you can e-mail me.  bbrownatw35th@yahoo.com
Peace and fulfillment and love,
Dan
p.s. I will try to write as much as I can but we've got work to do too and I can't always get a computer and the internet.

Tags: journey for humanity update!!!
Current Location: Columbus, Georgia
Current Mood: accomplished

Tues 7/10 nighttime in my tent at a KOA campgound in Houston:

We get to Crawford.  Cindy and a rag-tag group of people who believe in something other than the glitz and glam on the T.V. of both stripes hold banners and signs for a few reporters.  WOman in high heels -- how could she connect?  The veterans there do a flag folding ceremony, handing it to Cindy who graciously accepts -- this her last ceremony at the Crawford land.  SHe frowns in sadness at the loss of her sonand so many others in this useless war.  She announces her candidacy to give Nancy a run and then we march, in symbol, for the last time through Crawford.  Cindy is surprised that we got mostly waves and not one middle finger in this her last confrontation with the people of Crawford.  Maybe they're just happy to see her leave.  Maybe they'll miss her.  We walk, peace signs in the air, to the welcome to Crawford sign at the entrance to the town.  George and Laura stand wholesome as white bread.  The photo-op and then we go back to the land to begin our voyage.  We drive to Houston where we meet a group of peacniks holding signs and signs above a freeway overpass to rush hour traffic.  Cindy's celebrity gets noticed.  HUNDREDS honk.   NOt just short beeps, but long, sustained angry blasts of affirmation.  The country is angry with this -- these beasts of men who we see clearer everyday are just working for their own.  Can they tell from their ivory towers?
We then start a short march around a few blocks, with banners and such, and end at a Universalist church where music and politics find a home.  Many issues are spoken of and I agree with all that Cindy stands for.  (In her speech she says she's almost 100% sure there won't be a peacful transfer of power)  
We eat a good vegetarian pasta provided by the church and head to our campground. 
   At night at the picnic table I play "Somethings in the Air" for CIndy ("the revolution's here and you know it's right")  --seems to be her theme.  Then I play "I Don't Need No Democrat" and she agrees and we and a few others drink our tall-boy Red Dogs.  Politics, politics, revolution much was said.  I am in the right place.

 

Tags: 1st evening, tues
Current Mood: tired

  Got the essentials, now I let the hidden hand pull me.  I'll remember to eat constantly but if I lose a few pounds I still won't be the skinniest person to change the world.
   I sit surrounded by the usual chaos of getting ready for a trip, but even though I'll be gone for three weeks, I feel I need less.  It seems fate is more at work these days... maybe always... if you keep faith.  No time to think.  Gotta sleep!
  Remember your divinity.
  And thank you to everyone!!!  I've got good funds to get me through this.  I will re-pay with selfless service.

Current Mood: good

Free you mind and freedom will come.  The time to arrive was yesterday.

Current Mood: creative