Promoted by Steven D. Let’s help Boston Joe out folks.

I’m in the middle of about a month straight of work on an anti-war demonstration.  Currently have two days of protest left.  We’ve done well in local media coverage.  I’ll get you links when I have time, but I’ve got a headline soundbite in the mainstream press.  And we led off TV news for a whole cycle, before dropping to third story the second day.

But I’m writing for help.  I’ve been working 20 and 21 hour days for the past couple of days.  No time to blog this.  I’m just going to attach a local e-mail I wrote.  I would love to see the blogosphere pick up this “Petals for Peace” idea and help send Mike Rogers (MI-08) a message on Thursday and Friday.  I’ve written BooMan, DTF, ManeeGee, and MSOC to see if they might have time to help spread the word.

If you guys do find a way to contact Mike Rogers, someone also figure out a way to tally up calls and flowers sent.  I’d like to add them to my final totals.  I will blog this all when this is done and after a vacation to follow.  But it is a good story.  The Accidental Activist has transcended to some new zen level.  No kidding.  I’ve never felt so totally in tune.  Bizarro world.  I will tell all.
Here is e-mail for you to hunt and peck, and see if you can lend a hend in some way.  The cause is good.  World peace and justice:

Dear Peace People,

I am really quite gratified by the level of participation in this year’s 3rd
anniversary events.  From the sign-up sheets, I was worried that we would
not staff these protests at a level that would let the public understand the
commitment of the peace movement toward this cause.  But that worry has been
cast aside.  I’ve lost an exact count, but I honestly believe that
approximately 350-400 or more people have participated in the events we’ve
scheduled for this last week.  And we still have two full days to go to
boost that number.  And that does not include the thousands (I’d say quickly
approaching ten thousand or more — horn honks of support we’ve seen from
the public).  The ratio of positive to negative response if well in excess
of ten to one.  Protestors have joined us from as far away as Howell,
Clinton County, Jackson and Bay City, Michigan.  And a couple of new
residents of Kansas City.  New peace people have joined in.  And total
strangers are delivering us hot chocolate, coffee, cookies and apples.  Many
have stopped to shake hands from their car, or to just say thanks for doing
this.  The public support is almost bizarre.  The people are truly tired of
this war.

Now for important notes.  First, we started a “Petals for Peace” event
today.  Individual protestors are taking a single flower into Mike Rogers’
office and giving it to Mike, asking him to stop the war.  The response has
been very good.  We delivered in the neighborhood of 48 flowers today.  A
significant portion are from the public at large.  And we want to continue
this.  It sends a great message to Mr. Rogers.  You can help in a few
different ways.  E-mail this to your family, friends and associates, so that
they might have a chance to participate.  Stop by the picket and deliver a
flower (it takes about 15-30 seconds, and you can park right in front — no
tickets issued yet and we will watch your car).  Or, for those with the
means, send a cheap floral arrangement to Rogers’ office for Thursday or
Friday.  Make sure the card reads something like “Petals for Peace — Stop
the War.”  You just get the feeling on the ground that this is a really
wonderful protest statement.  The office is located at 1327 E. Michigan
Ave., Lansing, Michigan 48912.  And there is a great place to order flowers
just a block away.  Bancroft Flowers.  (517) 371-4120.  Just a block east of
the protest site.  (And they have given us a great rate on flowers for the
protest).

Second, we’re going to incorporate a new angle Thursday.  “Kisses for
Peace,” where in addition to flowers, we are going to be delivering
Hershey’s Kisses to ask for peace.  Friday, we are considering adding “Going
Nuts for Peace,” where we may deliver nuts for some kind.  For those of you
who got my earlier e-mail about baking cookies, we can deliver those also,
but some have suggested that non-packaged consumables might be suspect from
the Rogers’ staff.  So that is why we went “Kisses” instead.  Don’t worry.
We will not let your cookies go to waste.  Bring them by.  We have some
voracious cookie monster types on the picket lines.

Third, if you can’t do the actual picket or one of the walk-up/drive-up
quick protests, consider calling Rogers’ office at some point in the day and
telling him that you support the “Picket for Peace” outside his office.  You
want him to support legislation to stop the war and to hold the
administration accountable.  His office number is (517) 702-8000.  Plus you
can call him toll free in Washington D.C., at 1-877-762-8762.  Or you could
fax a sheet telling him you support the “Picket for Peace” at (517)
702-8642.  I’m told that legislative offices weight communications in this
hierarchy:  Personal visits, faxes, phone calls, and e-mails.  So help out
if you can.  Those of you who blog, post this info so we can get some
regional or nationwide support.

Fourth, Tom is circulating an invitation to “Gone Wired” for pizza following
the Picket for Peace.  If you participated please come out and say hello
again on Friday evening.  I’m suggesting we might drink a beer for peace
after pizza.

Fifth, I have to say a special thank you or two.  I mean it seems to me
absolutely everyone is helping to the maximum.  So it is difficult to single
anyone out without casting a shadow on everyone else’s contributions.  But
just some really cool neat little thing.  Margaret N. was out in the cold
with us to march a pit.  And that was pretty cool.  And Amy B. bought a
plant for a Rogers’ secretary who has been making our lives much more
enjoyable (and brought a nice smile to that person’s face).  Anyway.  It has
been so fun being out there.  Hope you can join us for a bit  Tomorrow has
the potential to be slow, because Gary D., who has been there every minute
is unavailable.  So anyone who can pick-up slack is appreciated.

Good night.  And good luck.

Best,
Terry Olson