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

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Real Face of War

Today we have decided to do the Real Face of War. Desiree has brought 3 horrific large color photos of the casualties of war. I have brought 4 other photos that we've used in California of the Real Face of War.

We have decided to march every morning down Pennsylvania Ave from the house to begin the actions. The march to the capitol attracts a lot of attention. We get mostly positive responses. This morning we end up at the Rayburn building again - we are expecting lots of congress people as there is a memorial for a former congressman – we are not disappointed.

Mostly white men in multi-million dollar suits alight from cabs, limos, and private cars. They are greeted by a line of pinkers, holding these pictures of the Real Face of War.

Desiree asks them to look at the Real Face of War. She is angry. We are all angry. After these men walk thru this first line, there are more pinkers standing up on the stairs, greeting them with yet more pictures and banners. We ask these people to work today to make peace in our world.

Some of them answer. They are working for peace. One particularly obnoxious & huge white male gets out a limo & says to the first line that it’s his job to work for peace every day.

By the time he gets to me he is saying something like we can only have peace if we have a strong military. I immediately tell him, no way – we can only have war if we keep increasing weapons and soldiers. He looks at me & exclaims he didn’t say that. George Washington did!

Like that makes everything alright!

We read the Mother’s Day Proclamation again – it is so very moving & powerful. We do the action inside the building & get asked to leave. It is okay because many people have heard us. We are getting really good at it.

Freedom Fries

We are shocked to see on the menu "freedom fries" and "freedom toast" at the Rayburn Cafeteria. When we point that out to the people of color who are working behind the counter, they attempt to reassure us that no one orders french fries nor french toast by the freedom name.

One of the women tells them to tell their boss to change it. Desiree says this should be an action CodePINK takes on, not the workers behind the counter. We will print "french" on labels & come by every day & stick it over the "freedom". We will also write to the corporation that runs the cafeteria & ask them to take freedom fries off the menu.

I have a vague memory of Congress passing legislation overturning 'French' when France refused to send troops to Iraq. hmmmmm