Cindy Sheehan hurt by police
Cindy Sheehan hurt by police
Today, CodePinkers gathered at the UN to read our Women Say NO to war petition – go to http://www.womensaynotowar.org/ and sign today!!! Then they marched to the U.S. Mission, in solidarity with women from about 80 other countries who are also marching to the U.S. embassies in their country to hand them the petition with 60,000+ signatures.
I was unable to attend today, as I am delivering the goods to those who have supported my cross-country trip. And I’m preparing for my return load.
I have crossed the Hudson River by the Tappan Zee bridge and I’m on the NY and NJ borders. I pull into a small town and drive down the depressed center where buildings are empty, boarded up, or in great need of paint & gutters. I see mostly people of color walking around & driving down the streets. The stores that are open include a community center, a cheap furniture outlet, African Bead store, and a couple of fast food joints. Upstairs, barred apartment windows overlook the disarray below.
I have made a wrong turn. I make a u-turn and head back across the railroad tracks – to the affluent and obviously white side of the neighborhood. Here stores, like boutiques and a coffee shop, are spread out into little clusters, freshly painted & landscaped. the few folks that are out here are all white. Huge mansions set back thru lots of trees and bushes scream wealth, room, and privacy.
Aren’t we tired of living this way yet?
My customer is on the white side of the tracks – in the Waldorf School complex. I park my truck in the school’s parking lot, facing the country road where giant SUV’s driven by middle-aged white men slow down to stare open-mouthed at my ‘imprison bush’ side.
A small group of white teenagers walk down the hill from their classroom to read the truck. I talk with them about CodePINK. There is just one girl among them. The boys have heard of CodePINK but the girl hasn’t. I talk with them about International Women’s Day and what their school is doing to celebrate. Hmmmmm. They haven’t heard of International Women’s Day – we move on to Mother’s Day. I give them flyers for both & encourage them to begin a CodePINK chapter in Spring Valley.
When I get back to the city, I pick up my niece and we make dinner for her moms. I haven’t heard yet that Cindy has been brutally manhandled and arrested along with Medea and two other CodePINKers. I’m shocked – we weren’t planning any civil disobedience.
I find out that when the CodePINK marchers reached the U.S. Mission, the Mission folks refused to come down and take the petitions from us. Last year, we had presented petitions to them – it was awesome. There was lots of media, and hot pink, and a consulate person came down & graciously accepted those petitions on behalf of the Mission.
Apparently this year, no one would come down; so four women decided to sit down until they did come down. The men who charged forth, federal and private police, didn’t bother to try to negotiate on our behalf with the mission folks – which the city police have been known to do. Instead they yanked, wrenched, and pushed Cindy so forcefully, she has an injured shoulder, arm, and body not to mention a myriad of bruises.
How much force does it take to arrest non-violent protesters? Why do these men have to be so macho at all times? How do they feel about themselves, torturing human beings that are not fighting them, that are not a threat to them?
Everyone is supposed to go to D.C. – everyone was able to leave but these four women. And these women will be among the lucky ones jailed – the other women who are arrested & brought to jail all nite, will not get out in the morning or the next morning nor the next morning.
Today, CodePinkers gathered at the UN to read our Women Say NO to war petition – go to http://www.womensaynotowar.org/ and sign today!!! Then they marched to the U.S. Mission, in solidarity with women from about 80 other countries who are also marching to the U.S. embassies in their country to hand them the petition with 60,000+ signatures.
I was unable to attend today, as I am delivering the goods to those who have supported my cross-country trip. And I’m preparing for my return load.
I have crossed the Hudson River by the Tappan Zee bridge and I’m on the NY and NJ borders. I pull into a small town and drive down the depressed center where buildings are empty, boarded up, or in great need of paint & gutters. I see mostly people of color walking around & driving down the streets. The stores that are open include a community center, a cheap furniture outlet, African Bead store, and a couple of fast food joints. Upstairs, barred apartment windows overlook the disarray below.
I have made a wrong turn. I make a u-turn and head back across the railroad tracks – to the affluent and obviously white side of the neighborhood. Here stores, like boutiques and a coffee shop, are spread out into little clusters, freshly painted & landscaped. the few folks that are out here are all white. Huge mansions set back thru lots of trees and bushes scream wealth, room, and privacy.
Aren’t we tired of living this way yet?
My customer is on the white side of the tracks – in the Waldorf School complex. I park my truck in the school’s parking lot, facing the country road where giant SUV’s driven by middle-aged white men slow down to stare open-mouthed at my ‘imprison bush’ side.
A small group of white teenagers walk down the hill from their classroom to read the truck. I talk with them about CodePINK. There is just one girl among them. The boys have heard of CodePINK but the girl hasn’t. I talk with them about International Women’s Day and what their school is doing to celebrate. Hmmmmm. They haven’t heard of International Women’s Day – we move on to Mother’s Day. I give them flyers for both & encourage them to begin a CodePINK chapter in Spring Valley.
When I get back to the city, I pick up my niece and we make dinner for her moms. I haven’t heard yet that Cindy has been brutally manhandled and arrested along with Medea and two other CodePINKers. I’m shocked – we weren’t planning any civil disobedience.
I find out that when the CodePINK marchers reached the U.S. Mission, the Mission folks refused to come down and take the petitions from us. Last year, we had presented petitions to them – it was awesome. There was lots of media, and hot pink, and a consulate person came down & graciously accepted those petitions on behalf of the Mission.
Apparently this year, no one would come down; so four women decided to sit down until they did come down. The men who charged forth, federal and private police, didn’t bother to try to negotiate on our behalf with the mission folks – which the city police have been known to do. Instead they yanked, wrenched, and pushed Cindy so forcefully, she has an injured shoulder, arm, and body not to mention a myriad of bruises.
How much force does it take to arrest non-violent protesters? Why do these men have to be so macho at all times? How do they feel about themselves, torturing human beings that are not fighting them, that are not a threat to them?
Everyone is supposed to go to D.C. – everyone was able to leave but these four women. And these women will be among the lucky ones jailed – the other women who are arrested & brought to jail all nite, will not get out in the morning or the next morning nor the next morning.
posted by Xan @ 11:58 PM
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