Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

I am writing today in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Who spoke these words in 1967: "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." I am an organizer with the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance (one of the primary organizers of the 9/26 action at the White House), and as mentioned on your recent conference call we are organizing visits, and many sit-ins at local congressional offices following MLK Day. Many affinity groups may choose to remember Dr. King by electing to do a sit-in should their representative be very resistant to changing course on this illegal and immoral war and occupation. We are asking groups to request that their representatives support Rep. Jim McGovern's (D-MA) bill to stop funding for the war and occupation. And that their sentaros introduce similar legislation. We feel that doing a nonviolent action in the quest for peace is an excel...

Below is a recent post on a Philly-based blog. I find this scene truly sad, but all too common. Meanwhile in the national news the National Security Agency has been exposed on spying on its own citizens and keeping extensive files on more than 100 peace groups. What has happened to liberty in America? Monday, December 12, 2005 Philly Peace Protest Turns Violent as Police Lose Their Cool (again) When George Bush's motorcade rolled into Center City Philadelphia today the President was greeted with a loud and sustained chorus of boos and whistles from the crowd of protesters that assembled outside the president's hotel. Bush was in town to deliver a speech about the latest in Iraq. (transcripts of Bush's speech) This was the 3rd in a series of four events staged by the White House to respond to critcs of Bush's Iraq policy. Later across town, Pennslyvania Congressman John Murtha, the hawkish democrat and war veteran whose recent challenge to end the war effectively reframe...

It was a remarkable day in federal court. The 9/26 defendants showed great courage and solidarity. Although, I paid my fine I wanted to go and give support. A friend of mine reported earlier this evening that the defendants were still at the offices of John Norris, Cindy Sheehan's attorney. NLG attorney Mark Goldstone is serving as attorney advisor for the defendants pro se. The prosecution tried to screw the defendants by splitting them up their trials, and thus depriving them of the defense they had already planned for. The judge first seemed to agree to this, but then flip-flopped. The trial will continue tomorrow morning around 10AM at the Federal Courthouse at 3rd and Constitution. Mark Goldstone is our attorney in regards to the 2/8/05 protest I was arrested for at the lower steps of the Supreme Court. We are appealing the initial guilty verdict. From today, here is the most recent AP story: Sheehan to Return to Court for Second Day By ELIZABETH WHITE The Associated Press WAS...

After the September peace march and subsequent mass nonviolent civil resistance action at the White House, I can’t help but feel the tide of dissent and public opposition to our nation’s current road to imperialism rise. It now seems as if Katrina has finally exposed our government’s unjust priorities. Within days America is expected to witness its two-thousandth death from combat operations in Iraq. Popularity for this war and occupation has slumped to an all-time low. A recent CBS poll reports 59 percent of Americans favor a withdrawal from Iraq as soon as possible. And yet the American government stubbornly continues to fund an illegal and immoral occupation of a nation that never posed a credible threat to us. Meanwhile military recruiters routinely lie and manipulate the youth of our nation to sign up for a war of empire, possibly leaving them mentally or physically – or both -- scarred for life. On November 17th and 18th, students, parents and peace activists will unite to tell o...

Sorry for the late posting on this historic event. Three weeks ago, I was detained on a Metro bus with my dear friends Malachy, David Barrows, Midge Potts and D.C.-based Catholic Worker Art Laffin. We had been arrested for protesting in front of the White House and refusing to leave. We were protesting against the illegal and immoral war and occupation of a soveriegn nation which never posed a credible threat to our nation. This action had been planned largely through conference calls hosted by United for Peace and Justice's (UFPJ) nonviolent direct action working group. The two groups who probably had the biggest hand in designing this momentous act of nonviolent resistance was The National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance (formerly known as the Iraq Pledge of Resistance) and Clergy and Laity Concerned about Iraq (CALC-I). Participation in the event turned out to be larger than many of us imagined. The first one arrested was Cindy Sheehan, the anti-war movement's first true...

This event is scheduled for two weeks before Operation Ceasefire. Clearly it looks like The Washington Post is finally beginning to come to its senses. But there's a long road to travel to reclaim the credibility it had during the Watergate era... This event is disgusting and Clint Black should be ashamed. I am sure the 9/11 families will speak out very soon. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Washington Post dropped its sponsorship on Monday of a walk organized by the Pentagon to remember victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks and to support U.S. troops, saying it was possible the event would become "politicized." The newspaper's news employees' union had urged the newspaper to reconsider co-sponsoring the Defense Department's "Freedom Walk," which it said was a political event. Critics of the war in Iraq gathering for demonstrations in Washington beginning on September 24 also had criticized media outlets for co-sponsoring the Pentagon event. The Washi...

You can go to Google and type in "'Operation Ceasefire' concert" and get a bunch of stories. Here is our press release: Free Music Festival in Opposition to Iraq War Diverse Musicians Discuss ‘Operation Ceasefire’ Concert and Rally showpiece of 4 days of massive action against the war WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today organizers of Operation Ceasefire, a new coalition of concerned musicians, held a press conference to announce a day long music festival and rally calling for an end to the Iraq War. The massive free anti-war concert/rally will be held at the Washington Monument on September 24th and will be a showpiece of what is expected to be 4 days of enormous protests in the nation’s capital in support of a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from the quagmire in Iraq. The concert will bring together artists from several different genres, including: International Recording Stars Thievery Corporation, Punk-rock bands LeTigre, Bouncing Souls, Country music recording artist S...

I have been working hard on a promising project with Adam Eidinger, who ran during the last election as D.C.'s delegate to the House of Representatives on the Statehood/Green Party. Operation Ceasefire is an anti-war concert at the Washington Monument on the evening of the September 24th peace mobilization. Local electronica duo Thievery Corporation are fronting half the startup costs. They intend to make a live CD and DVD of the concert, and all proceeds will benefit United for Peace and Justice and the local group I am involved with the D.C. Anti-War Network. Acts who have signed on to this historical concert: Thievery Corporation Le Tigre Bouncing Souls Steve Earle Ted Leo and The Pharmacists Head-Roc Wayne Kramer of MC-5 Jello Biafra We are excited with the potential for this event to grow! We will have a press conference this Wednesday at noon at The National Press Club in downtown D.C. For a little more information: http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3026

Cities in America are on edge following the bombings in London a couple weeks ago where 55 people were killed. This was terrible. But so is the daily bloodshed in Iraq. Last night and today I posted some notices around town about a seminar hosted by the D.C. Anti-War Network entitled "From London to Baghdad: Why we must end the "War on Terror." It will be held in D.C. this coming Wednesday at 7 p.m. at The Flemming Center, 1426 9th Street, N.W. There will be a three person panel, including a representative from the National Coalition of Arab Americans. This is a needed event, as people both need to discuss this terrible tragedy and begin to learn more about the root causes. Unfortunately, Blair and Bush are using the bombings to increase police power to invade individuals' property and privacy rights. People of Arab descent are being targetted; the stench of racism is spreading. In New York (and supposedly soon in D.C.) random searches of people's personal proper...

Hi, I am a D.C. native and this is my left wing blog. This is where I get to share my ideas, my beliefs and my political convictions. I believe our system of government is broken, and that only a popular bottom-up nonviolent mass revolution will be able to set our country on an enlightened path away from its continual destructive and immoral patterns of behavior engaged in on both a national and international scale. I will be posting news, editorial, satire, reviews and random poltical and philosophical ramblings here. I hope to get some additions and feedback from my readers. I quit the Democrats about two weeks after the 2004 election in November. I could no longer stay with a party that was basically complicit in Bush's crimes, his deceit, his extreme treachery. The Democrats are weak at best; they no longer present an opposition party or even a decent alternative to those dissatisfied with the increasingly one-party agenda of Our Nation. The Greens, I believe, do present a thou...