Author: Damnit Janet

Just a partial photo diary of Saturday in Portland. I’m still stunned by the anger and hatred of the Marine recruiters. As some read earlier, a recruiter clapped his hands in front of my face into a mock gun shape and pretended to shoot me. Another Marine tried to engage in a screamfest with me when I first arrived. I guess women in pink are a threat to these ‘hero warriors’.

So brave…. not. Recruiters wear t-shirts and play hip hop from their humvees

We stood right in front of their tent. The Marines were threatened by this and we had to “move along”

At least some in service, those lovely sailors, were willing to state what happened. No one spoke to me though.

These are the Friday vigil dudes that I adore.

A spokesperson for Jesus told us to go to hell and called us a bunch a names.

Couldn’t walk on the same sidewalk as some peace activists….or they’re used to walking in ditches

Trying to stop a war makes you the enemy of the state.

At the beginning of the protest – there were only a few of us. Then families joined in and by the time I went home – there were at least 60 of us marching up and down the avenue (we had to leave the fountain park… the Marines were just too afraid of us) So we had to march up and down one street, back and forth.

Which crossed the path of the Navy recruiting station which was right next to a bible-type Christian Soldier tent… but that’s for another day.

The below is from a dear hockey friend.

Two Tragic Americas Dept.

America #1: Fatcat chickenhawks making billions in war profiteering while speechifying about our great military heroes and our glorious victories in Iraq.

America #2: Santa Cruz fire depts. this month will have a barrel out front. I know most you don’t live near there. But these barrels are for sweatpants. The program is called Sweats for Vets started by a Nice Lady.
This Nice Lady from Santa Cruz was up at the veterans’ division of Ronald McDonald House in the head trauma center. She asked why a lot of the permanent and serious trauma victims were being wheeled around in ill-fitting, oddly-colored ladies sweatpants which in some cases only came down to their knees.

She was told that the men and women patients had to have sweatpants because they were paralyzed and the workers needed to put on and remove them easily. But there was no money for sweatpants, so they had to use whatever they could find. They couldn’t afford sweatpants. Because Bush had cut the VA funding.

Now let’s back up a bit here. These are Americans. They fought for their country. They weren’t provided by Donald Rumsfeld with adequate armoring for their vehicles, or their bodies. They got blowed up…good. They have severe brain damage. Permanent brain damage. They have little or no control of bodily functions. Many can’t talk, and never will. They are in pain, emotional and physical.

And George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, who dine in luxury, who sip champagne, who sleep on silk sheets…they deny these fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the corporate war profiteering schemes of these war criminals, they deny these good people the dignity of sweatpants.

So fellow poor Americans who might have an extra pair of old pants have to contribute a tiny scrap of dignity to these fallen heroes. It’s on the poorest souls to help the other poor souls. Same as it ever was.

While the criminals in Washington drink and live it up at another gala ball tonight.

That’s two Americas too many. I say we go back to one America. One in which George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld and Richard Cheney wear donated orange jumpsuits. The barrels will be overflowing for that cause.

If you want to mail sweatpants for our disabled vets, the address is:

Santa Cruz Fire Department
230 Walnut Avenue
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Attn:  Sweats For Vets

FD information # for Santa Cruz: (831) 420-5280

Parents and citizens have been fighting a war. A war that has been engaged upon our children. The Red Regime’s No Child Left Behind has destroyed educational funding but it has accomplished one thing. It has allowed for the systematic stalking and molestation and is some cases actual kidnapping of our children.

Now… the Army of One are going after our disabled students.
From the Oregonian – An Army of one wrong recruit
Autism – The signing of a disabled autistic 18 year old Portland despite warnings reflects problems nationally for military enlistment.

For the article

This is what our country has become!?!?!?

“Last fall, Jared began talking about joining the military after a recruiter stopped him on his way home from school and offered a $4,000 signing bonus, $67,000 for college and more buddies than he could count.

Matthew told his mother that military recruiting at the school and surrounding neighborhoods was so intense that one recruiter had pulled him out of football practice.

Recruiters in Portland and nationwide spend several hours a day cold-calling high school students, whose phone numbers are provided by schools under the No Child Left Behind Law. They also prospect at malls, high school cafeterias, colleges and wherever else young people gather.”

What is wrong with this country???

“Last month, Jared came home with papers showing that he not only had enlisted, but also had signed up for the Army’s most dangerous job: cavalry scout. He is scheduled to leave for basic training Aug. 16.”

I am so filled with rage.

Next time I see that piece of shit recruiter in the grocery store, the one that looks at me with such hate… I’ll give him an earful the military hadn’t trained him for.

These are not heros. They are warpigs “just following order?? Fuck them!

This is WAR!

[Free Jared Action Page http://tomjoad.org/freejared.htm]

Editing isn’t working: http://tomjoad.org/freejared.htm

Jared Guinther is a nice young man. He would make a nice neighbor. He is also moderately to severely autistic. This diagnosis should disqualify him from military service. First because it is doubtful he knows the risks he is taking. Secondly, because it is unlikely that he would have the ability to protect his comrades who will come under attack. Lastly, no one should be recruited for a war of aggression that was based on lies and deception.

Read the article and take action. Call the recruiters who misled and fraudulently permitted Jared to sign-up.

Eastport Plaza Shopping Center
4000 SE 82nd Ave, Suite 1100
Portland, OR 97266
503-257-9950 Ask for Cpl. Ronan Ansley or Sgt. Alejandro Velasco.

P
A word of caution. Do be advised that Sgt. Velasco has exhibited violent and inappropriate behavior, so keep that in mind if you are approaching him in-person.

Or you may send a message to the spokesman for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command

Email: Douglas Smith (502) 626-0164/0172

Demand that:

1. Jared be released from any commitment to the U.S. military.

2. He receive the funds fraudulently promised him for signing up. $4,000 for education.

3. That disciplinary action be taken against Cpl. Ronan Ansley and Sgt. Alejandro Velasco for their disservice.

Criss-Crossed here and there.

ACTION ALERT – Peace in Iraq Call-In Day, Monday, April 24,
800-620-4394
Tell the Senate –
Not one penny more for the War!
No permanent U.S. bases in Iraq!

On Tuesday, April 25, the Senate will take up the supplemental spending bill for 2006. The current proposal includes $67 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afganistan.

Also, later this month me and another CodePinker will be going into a Senator’s office and asking that he stop sending tax dollars to these illegal occupations and possibly for a refund. More details on that to follow later.

It’d really help us all out if others would stand up and speak out. If everyone spoke out – the risk wouldn’t be on just a few.
Every Friday at 5 p.m. in Portland’s Pioneer Square, several from the Portland’s Peaceful Response Coalition and No War Drum Corps and other various groups and individuals gather to march in a 5 square block. My family have been attending, rain or shine. The group seems to be getting bigger.

A few pre-march announcements regarding global heating, Amy Goodman was going to be in town as part of a fundraiser for KBOO radio and a gentleman spoke briefly as a member of the “Facade News” – “All the news we won’t tell you” and then alerted us that Bush had been arrested for crimes of treason. People not in the march started cheering untill they realized it was just a joke.  

Told you it’s been growing!

The young man in this photo looks so haunted. I thought he had marched with us before and it turns out this was his first time. He saw us and just joined in. By the end… he was smiling and flashing cars the Peace sign.

We came to the end but we were all still jazzed. The No War Drum Corps decided to march up another street to where Amy Goodman and others were to be staying so we could give them a shout out and a hearty WELCOME TO PORTLAND.

A bus load of those “whacky liberal, dirt hugging, tree humping hippies” stopped and gave us some love.

Us outside Goodman’s hotel. Someone from inside came out and thanked us.

It was a beautiful day. But every day is a good day to get out and try to stop a bloodshed.

Duct tape? No we’re not “getting prepared” for the “End Times”, we’re making “rocket launchers”, “bombs” and “missiles” for an upcoming CodePink Portland demonstration.

Bush logic: A bomb for every baby.

Danni was our “Creative Arts Consultant” and came up with fantastic idea of using orange and yellow feathers to simulate flames.

I think what continues to draw me closer to CodePink is the nurturing and healing touch they have for one another. You enter a room, a street, Washington DC and you are amongst instant friends. I mean, this is the day before a holiday for many, and here there were souls contemplating waging Peace. Gathering and sharing ideas. Getting bright pink paint and sticky glue all over themselves. As always, I come back more energized… and filled up with pizza.

We’ll be parading with our shopping carts chock-full of all the Bush tools of death, destruction and devastation. We’ll also be handing out War Receipts asking “Are you satisfied with your $225.6 Billion purchase? Which tells what our tax dollars “financed”. Print some off for yourself to use! These are great to pass out to Peace Supporters as well as to place on windowshields of cars with “W” stickers on their ass end.

Cristy hard at work creating rockets. We first glued the rocket “fins” on and then had to take them off when we discovered it was too difficult to paint them pre-made. We have recovering lawyers, mothers, students and activists… but as of this posting – no rocket scientists…yet.

This is what “Freedom, Liberty and Democracy” looks like.

Please visit our Mother’s Day Action diary and sign the Peace Pledge to honor Mother’s Day

Criss-Crossed at Booman and Kos

This time the drums weren’t present, they’ll be back next Friday, so a woman used a bullhorn to say the names and ages of the Iraqi citizens who were slaughtered in 2004.

Most of them were young children. A name, age 10 – death due to severe burns. Another name, age 13, death due to head injuries and shrapnel…

On and on the names came as the rain poured down.
We stopped and stood outside of City Hall.

That’s Wesley, Danni (in bright pink)and their Dad to the left of the Axe.

Two gentlemen from the Portland Peaceful Response Coalition. They have a weekly march for Peace and Justice each Friday at 5 and we march various routes, usually about a 5 square block.  

Stop Torture.  Again there were many honks, waves and peace signs our way. The strangest event was when a bunch of teenagers in a stretch hummer kept driving by to jeer us. How pathetic.

More rain. More names. I noticed acorss the street some young men from Argentina (soccer fans) were snapping our photo so I sauntered over. Handed them my sign while I got them some bumperstickers. They were very happy to meet me and see that Americans also don’t want this war. I thought for a second that one of them was going to give me a kiss.

More names… and I looked up and saw this long-haired angel statue beaming down at us. The rain dripped from her face and breasts… tears? I don’t know. I just wish that we could somehow, someway stop the tears in Iraq and at home.

Untill next Friday… keep marching.

*Update*

Portland CodePink will be making waves again on Glamarchy Now! radio show

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/static/pdxradio.shtml via Portland Indymedia Web Radio tonight 21:00-22:00 PST.

Also at Kos

To keep the pressure on Senator Wyden to end the occupation of Iraq, various groups are mobilizing a phone/fax/letter campaign to his Portland office.

“W”yden, a Democrat, voted against the war.  However, he continues to vote to fund the war which was based on lies and greed.  

Below is a letter that you can use as a template to fax/mail his office, or as a script for phone calls. (Attachment documents in Word or PDF form are also available, email katieh@riseup.net for them) This is a decentralized campaign empowering individual citizens to contact their senator with a coordinated message.

Please start faxing and calling today and every day.  Pass this on to others to call. We need to keep the heat on and show Senator Wyden that the people of Oregon and the Nation really do want the troops home now.

The numbers are as follows:

phone: 503-326-7525
fax: 503-557-1981

[Crossed at Kos http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/26/192931/225]

Every Friday, starting at Pioneer Square in Portland, OR – a group of people from Portland Peaceful Response Coalition, Portland’s No War Drum Corp, Veteran’s for Peace Chapter 72 and CodePink Portland march in a 5 square block while holding signs, chanting against this war, all to the beautiful sound of No War Drum Corp. Drums… there’s something so pure, so strong about them.

Glimpses from the rally. It’s so hard to capture on film what your heart feels.

This time my family came along. Danni and Wesley made and decorated their own drums. Wesley even took off his most treasured, must-have with him always item – his CD player – and tuned in.

There were tons of cars honking, people flashing us the peace sign and thumbs up. People sitting down in diners smiled at us and waved at the kids.

Someone brought their axe
(in this case, not a guitar)

“Teach your children well.”
They ARE our National Treasures.

Stop the killing!

Whatever you do, please take some action on Mother’s Day to commemorate the true meaning of this day, we must put an to end the insanity of sacrificing our children to war!

Sign the Mother’s Day Pledge that you will honor the world’s mothers by devoting time during the year to actions against war.
Of the 10 action ideas below, pledge to pursue one of them during the coming year:

Mother’s Day is often seen as if through a soft-focus lens — a sentimental day of cards and flowers and frills. It has a surprisingly radical history, however. Just as International Women’s Day, March 8, started as a day for women to rise up for peace and justice, so did Mother’s Day in the US begin with:

And whether you’re in the US or overseas, please consider writing a letter to Laura Bush to ask her how she, as a mother, can continue to support a war that is leaving scores of American and Iraqi mothers bereft. Send your letters to

, we’ll deliver them en masse; we’ll also take the most compelling letters and turn them into a book called,

Let’s come together to build the world we want for our children — and our mothers.

For more information on CodePink Activities and how to get involved, please visit their Mother’s Day Campaign and do what you can to be a voice against the bloodshed.

Every day IS Mother’s Day!

Thank you.

Eman Ahmed Khamas is a journalist and human rights activist from Iraq. She is part of the Iraqi Delagates from the Women Say No To War campaign. She had to leave her two daughters behind in order to be allowed to travel to our country and bravely share her pleas to stop the killing.

I had planned on marching and helping out whevever possible. I had no idea that I was about to AGAIN have my life’s path forever emboldened and empowered.

I told her one day my daughter and I will visit her and her daughters in Baghdad.
Our day started out with the Radical Cheerleaders. They aren’t very happy with Bush and Alito either

That dude in the cheerleading skirt is one sexy, liberal man!!!

I don’t know how it happens, but I ended up holding the front banner for most of the feeder march while banging a drum and letting the policemen know where we needed to cross and turn. CodePink marches TO the rallies and marches. Towards the end, two gentlemen who joined us from the sidewalks, asked if they could carry our banner and spell us for a while. Later, Katie and I walked into Waterfront Park with what started out with about 50 CodePink people – by the end turned into a 3 block line of supporters. I made nicey nice with the policemen who were “escorting” us so as we wouldn’t accidently get run over or jaywalk – and I think they actually started to like us.

Eman passionately speaking out to the crowd to have our country leave them alone. I was honored to be with her that afternoon. She had me hold her bag which contained her documents and passports… I was just floored by her bravery and her spirit.

I could see how this drains her.

So we started walking over to a quieter area where the sunshine was. She wants this photo and gave me her email.

Katie and Cristy, two tiredless, self-less wonders. Soaking it all in for a minute before more work to be done.

Cristy and Eman – back at the CodePink area. We ran out of t-shirts and pins. Everyone just wants to hug you. It’s amazing.

Later a few of us stayed to break the area down, pick up the trash and get the ‘stuff’ packed into Cristy’s truck across the way.  Veteran’s for Peace came by to lift our spirits and talk about the day and upcoming ideas. I made another new friend walking back to the Blue Line train.

I wasn’t able to stop the war and the bloodshed yesterday, but I was honored to have been able to stand with Eman and CodePink … and lift some burdens and help some feel loved and needed.

And … help them smile – if only for a moment.

We must stop this killing. I don’t want Eman or her daughters to be killed. Why is it that we can’t stop this?

Bread and Puppets Theatre

It breaks my heart to know that more women and children will be arrested, tortured, murdered… for wanting to wave peace and end the killing.  One can’t help but shiver in the presence of a woman, like Eman, who is so brave… and so true. Yet another moment in my life that I’ll never forget and will be better for experiencing.

Stop the war!
Stop
Stop
Stop the war!