What was all that crap I wrote about “hope” yesterday? Oh never mind. Because today I’m just finding myself cranking Lou Reed’s “The Blue Mask” and wanting to slip into the almighty zone of indifference. Yes, that’s it, I think I’ll open the window for some air and a chance to let the wet wind here me utter this guttural moment of clarity: AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH! There, I feel a little better.
Okay, there was plenty of hope yesterday as the twenty of us relics from the dustbin of democracy dragged our cranky asses to the office of our lone representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, Peter Welch, to officially deliver our dismay with his continued willingness to fund the Iraq war. Nothing radical there, huh? Well, we didn’t think so until we got to the office and his staff treated us like we had Martha Rainville masks on. Ouch.
We got about three and a half minutes to quickly express ourselves to his clearly contemptuous staff member before having their office doors slammed on our faces with the declaration that we would not be allowed to speak with Peter Welch via the phone and that they had work to do. Wham! Slam! Bam!
No wonder the Iraqis are so skeptical of the so-called democracy we’re trying to export to them. Because if it looked anything like the slamming doors we saw yesterday while trying to express ourselves to our elected official, I wouldn’t want anything to do with it either.
And let’s remember that the twenty of us were there to speak with Welch and/or his staff about the issue he calls his “top priority.” Geez, I’d really hate to see the reaction we would have gotten had we come to address a lower priority of his.
But we dutifully stayed until closing time – just like we promised. And then the cops came — just like they promised. And then the negotiations began.
“What can we do to end this without arrests or incident?” asked the Burlington police officer.
And to that reasonable question we made what we thought was a very reasonable proposals to end the whole thing: We would leave if Peter Welch agreed to meet with us at a time, place and date of his choosing. Quite honestly, we thought it would be over and we’d soon be leaving with a promise to meet with our congressman in the near future – a meeting that became even more relevant as the news came out during our time in his office that Bush was seeking an additional $46 billion for the war.
The police and Welch’s staff huddled in the next room to discuss our offer. Calls were made to Welch’s Washington office to further contemplate the offer. We thought they were simply trying to figure out the proper scheduling.
Silly us. Because the police officer came back with the news that stunned us: “They are rejecting your offer and they would like us to arrest you if you don’t leave now.”
Got that, people? No meeting with Welch and, instead, handcuffs for the eight of us who remained after the final warning – myself included. And so, for the four of us “repeat” offenders – those who were arrested at his office last March – it’s off to court on December 4th to be arraigned on the charge of trespassing at the office of our congressman.
I’ve got my statement ready for the judge: “Yes, your honor, I was peacefully involved in seeking a meeting with my elected official, Peter Welch.” And let’s see how much jail time that gets me.
I went to Welch’s office yesterday with a gnawing desire to do something about the war in Iraq that I find so morally and legally reprehensible. I’m tired of the inaction. I’m tired of the lethargy. I’m tired of the soothing calls to “just wait” until after the election for change. I’m tired of hearing myself complain about the war but so rarely risking much of anything to stop it. And visiting our man in Congress who keeps voting for more money to prosecute this war seemed like a very reasonable thing to do. Please, correct me if I’m wrong.
Call me a hopeless political romantic, but I still believe we can stop this war. But it’s going to take more than twenty people willing to go to their congressman’s office to say, “stop the funding.” And it’s going to take more than a yawn of a response when those people are arrested for seeking a meeting.
Anybody awake out there? Let’s talk. Because the time for action is now – before Bush gets another $46 billion for war.
See you in court….
[Oh yeah, you can find some media reports of the endeavor by clicking here (including video option) and here.]
And this Congressman was almost censured: Effort to Censure Lawmaker for a Comment Falls Short NYTimes By DAVID STOUT Published: October 24, 2007 WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 — Representative Pete Stark, Democrat of California, escaped a censure Tuesday for incendiary remarks he made last week about President Bush and the war in Iraq. Chris Greenberg/Bloomberg News Representative Pete Stark sharply criticized the Iraq war. By 196 to 173, the House voted against adopting a resolution to censure Mr. Stark, who is chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, for what he said as the House sustained Mr. Bush’s veto of a bill to expand a children’s health insurance program.“You don’t have money to fund the war or children,” Mr. Stark told Republicans last week. “But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.”
Welch is no dummy. He knew well the situation he was walking into. He surely manipulated and controlled the outcome to his satisfaction. I am sure he is smirking today.
Nonetheless, he is your classic slimeball lawyer gone to Washington. Look at his past..he was a personal claims attorney..living of insurance companies to the tunes of million dollar settlements…of which he probably gets just one third. I have no doubt that he is padding their pockets to secure his his own after he gets bounced. I only doubt it will happen soon enough.
He doesnt give a shit about Iraq and our soldiers dying there! What does that have to do with lawyers getting rich off insurance settlements?
Some time ago, I did need to buy a building for my corporation but I didn’t earn enough cash and couldn’t order something. Thank heaven my brother proposed to take the mortgage loans at reliable creditors. Thus, I acted so and was satisfied with my sba loan.