Code Pink Journals CodePINK Journals

Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Sunday, February 26, 2006

crusades on the march

Leaving Tucson this morning, I drive thru beautiful Arizona into Texas. I try put aside my previous memories of how ugly Texas is, and try to open myself to seeing the beauty of Texas this time.
As I pull back out onto the highway, after a brief rest-stop, I find myself right in the midst of a caravan of trailers being hauled by new white pick-up trucks. I see "Disaster Relief Project" printed in red on signs that adorn the side doors of each dually truck – you know, the kind that has 4 doors and those extended sides over the back wheels – the kind whose drivers are more apt to give me the finger than not!
My first thought, after slipping in between two of them, is why would FEMA haul trailers individually thru Texas to New Orleans – why not ship on the railroad?
Then I take a better look at the trailers – they are really small, no longer than my truck and a tiny bit wider. As I examine them closer, I see there are no windows on the side – only a door. I pull around & see there are no windows on the back either. I pass & see there is no window on the other side – only another door. I think they resemble those sheds that people put in their back yards, rather than a trailer. I slow down to let one pass me, and I see a front door and a small window on the last side – and I see the front door has a bible verse written on it: "Mark 14:23" I think it reads.
I imagine what it would be like to have to open that door every day & read that verse; I imagine how depressing it would be to live in that one room trailer with no light. I try to imagine the white people driving those trucks living in that trailer.
Then I read the disaster relief sign more carefully – underneath the disaster relief project line, it says something about a christian mission from Bakersfield. Each white truck has a white male driving and a white female in the passenger seat – they all give me the thumbs down as I pass! The good christians!
I think of the waste of money these christians are spending – I imagine they’ve rented the trucks & hitches to haul the trailers on. I doubt if they’d sleep in the trailer so I’m sure they’re gong to have hotel bills as well. It reminds me of the same mentality that’s ‘rebuilding’ Iraq and the story about the exhorbitant amount of money U.S. companies were spending on rebuilding a school – shody construction & not what the Iraqi’s had previous to the bombings nor wanted.
I push my truck too hard to get ahead of all of them & keep ahead of them for a few miles so they can read women say no to war.

El Paso and west Texas

Thru Arizona, I got 18 yeahs to 6 negatives - the yeahs included claps, fists in the air, and lots of honks; the negatives were 2 f.u.'s, 3 thumbs down, and one guy did a cut across the neck - whatever that means.

I entered Texas thru El Paso - remembering the young women murdered here and across the border in Ciudad Juarez. I pick up a police escort almost immediately. I ignore him.

Several cars honk & wave. Then one of those dually trucks, dark green, goes by, carrying several brown men in the front and back seats. They raise their fists as they pass and the guy in the back seat, rolls down the window, and blows kisses out of the truck at me! I blow them back.

Another sherrif's car has pulled onto the highway behind me & follows me all the way out of town. I don't look back.

Other than the dark green truck & her passengers, I cannot find anything beautiful about this part of Texas altho I am not getting any f.u.'s yet & the police didn't pull me over so.... also, i'm attempting to be more open to finding beauty in Texas - afterall, Texas did produce Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards, not to mention Molly Ivins - so I'll keep my eyes peeled.

Onward to Dallas/Ft Worth where I'll meet with cp'ers! peace, sam

Heading thru texas and onto alabama

My first – and only – delivery is in Huntsville Alabama -= a load from hell! My WHOLE truck is so full, I can’t even open the back to get out my brush & paint to repaint the numbers of dead on the back. I should be in Huntsville by Tuesday – maybe I’ll get another paint brush, as people are dying.

I spent the nite in Tucson at my friends' fabulous adobe home they recently moved into. I didn’t get to spend enuff - really any – time with them but I intend to on my way back. The time I did spend was so warm & lovely & inviting – can’t wait to come back.

This morning I'm off to Texas & Alabama – not looking forward to the hostility but I’m totally curious to see what is happening in that part of our country. I actually didn’t see any bush/cheney or w2004 stickers until I hit phoenix – then there has been only 2 & they passed by quietly. Off to texas! Peace, sam