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, January 20, 2009

Bush booed; Warren ignored; Obama exulted! to be continued

What a day! What a day! What a day!

We listened to Amy Goodman broadcasting the Inauguration Ceremonies while bouncing up and down, jogging around to keep warm in the park at the Peace

You don't HAVE to go! to be continued

As I walk the empty stroller against the wave of people attempting to get to the Mall at least - unless they were among the lucky thousands to snag a ticket to get up closer - I encounter many young mostly men in military gear walking about. I make it my mission to attempt to talk with as many as possible.

I approach them with the simple sentence: "Do NOT go to Afghanistan or Iraq".

Most soldiers respond with a resigned "I have no choice, I HAVE to go". Several tell me their deployment dates. My heart wrenches with each encounter.

Today's the Day! to be continued

My daughter, grandchild and I head for the Metro at the crack of dawn this morning.

There's such excitement in the air, it's permeating every sense: melting on the tongue like October snow flakes; stirring symphonies permeating the air like the ambiance of love music; anticipation chills racing through the body like athletes awaiting the donning of gold medal ribbon; feast of folks, fellow U.S. Americans, visitors from across oceans and boundaries, as far as one can see!

We get on at the first train – end of the line from D.C. – and the train fills up as we wait! We marvel as others at the next stops try to make their way into an already NY subway full train. No one loses their temper. No one gets outraged or violent. Everyone is determined to BE THERE!

I am entrusted today with stroller duty. Strollers are not allowed on the Mall nor in the ticketed areas. My daughter has her ticket, her 20+ pound baby bundled against her tiny frame in the almost 20 degree frigid, I have the stroller. She melts into the masses of Purple Ticket people – I head the other way to the CodePINK table at McPherson Square.