Inside the Belly of the Beltway Beast

This is truly frightening, and it pretty much sums up our current political environment. Ralph sounds as great as ever!

(First Appeared on OpEd News) By Malachy Kilbride President Bush will soon ask Congress for about another $200,000,000,000 as the official death count of US service people killed in Iraq passes the 3,800 mark. This 3,800 does not even include those who have died because of their injuries after they left Iraq. The numbers are far higher! According to Iraq Body Count the number of hostile and non-hostile US injured evacuated by air from Iraq was almost 37,000 as of the end of August, 2007. The number of Iraqis killed as a result of the invasion and occupation is estimated to be over 1,063,825. That is more than those slaughtered in the Rwandan genocide according to www.justforeignpolicy.org . Furthermore, these figures do not capture the real horror, devastation, and unimaginable misery inflicted on the Iraqi people. A recently released report by the American Friends Service Committee’s Cost of War Campaign says that the United States is spending about $720 million per day for the Iraq W...

For Immediate Release October 3, 2007 Contact: Pete Perry, 571-271-1313 Thelma Young, 202-234-8022 Peace and Human Rights Groups March to Burmese, Chinese and Indian Embassies on International Free Burma Day WASHINGTON, DC – Responding to a global call for Saturday, October 6th to be an international day of solidarity with the people's pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, also known as Burma, the Washington Peace Center and U.S. Campaign for Burma will march from the Burmese Embassy 23rd and S Streets, NW, to the Chinese Embassy at Kalorama Road and Connecticut Avenue, NW, and ending at the Indian Embassy on Q Street, near Dupont Circle. In response to last week's violent crackdown on Buddhist monks and civilians in Rangoon, Mandalay and other towns and cities in Burma, a popular group on the Web site Facebook has named October 6th International Day Of Support for Burma. The U.S. Campaign for Burma, a group dedicated to building broad-based support for freedom in Burma, and the W...

The monks began the latest protests in Myanmar last week, and today the UN special envoy has met with Nobel Prize winner and opposition leader Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for 12 of the last 18 years. The thirst for democracy in this small nation is overwhelming, and the brutal repression they have suffered under an illegitimate military junta has been horrifying. It appears the brutal regime has gained the uppoer hand over the last two days, but there's still some hope. It is my hope that the people of good conscience in this world will never lose sight of their brothers and sisters in Myanmar. None of us are truly free -- until all of us are free. Below is a story from today on the situation in Myanmar.

E-Mail I sent out to a bunch of organizers today... October 6th is being called as an international day of solidarity with the people's resistance in Myanmar. The Washington Peace Center is initiating a march from Mt. Vernon Square at 12 noon on Saturday, the 6th, as the Green Festival is taking place. We will march directly up Massachusetts Avenue, we will pause momentarily to honor the spirit of the nonviolent revolutionary Mahatma Gandhi at his statue at 21st and Mass Ave., NW before continuing onto the Myanmar Embassy at 2300 S Street, NW. At Gandhi's statue, we would like to invite nonviolent resisters and representatives of the Myanmar people to speak briefly. We will vigil at the Embassy for a couple hours, where we will read Buddhist chants in solidarity with the monks being slaughtered by their government and read accounts of the people's uprising from a few different blogs. If your group would like to participate, please contact me at 571-271-1313; or WPC coordina...

I suspect the numbers of dead are higher, but the British media has done a better job covering this than the U.S. The Burmese people have suffered long enough under this repressive regime. It is my sincere hope that the progressive community rally in support for democracy and human rights! A starting point might a be an ongoing vigil at the Embassy here in town; 2300 S Street, NW. Nine dead after troops fire into crowds of democracy protesters · Mayhem as crackdown gathers pace on 10th day of protests · Civilians take to streets after hundreds of monks arrested Ian MacKinnon, South-East Asia correspondent Friday September 28, 2007 Guardian Burmese troops and riot police battled to put an end to the 10th consecutive day of protests against the country's military dictatorship that has maintained an iron grip on power for 45 years, firing automatic weapons into crowds of pro-democracy demonstrators in Rangoon after they flouted warnings to clear the streets or face "extreme actio...

Here's a pic from the outside die-in.. And here's one from the inside die-in...

For the last couple months I knew it was coming, but now the wonderful anti-war nonviolent direct action INSIDE the Capitol Building has come and gone, I will be suspending my organizing activities with the peace and justice movement for two years while I am in grad school. I am studying Library and Info. Sciences at CUA, and following my completion I will need a few months starting my new career before I return to organizing. Sadly, I think the U.S. military occupation of the nation of Iraq will still be continuing, and we may also be engaged in a war with Iran at that point. So there will be a lot to organize around. Furthermore, D.C. will still not have a vote in Congress and our government will be spending more on military expenditures than health care and housing. So, there will be a lot of work for an anarchist archivist/librarian to help organize and support. The action yesterday inside the Capitol Building resulted in 36 people arrested. This was a joint nonviolent direct actio...

Probably the best speech of the day. Clearly, the most energetic. Last Monday, the Rev. was attacked and arrested by police for trying to enter a public hearing on Capitol Hill.

Today ANSWER, working with Iraq Veterans Against the War, had a two and a half hour anti-war rally at Lafayette Park, followed by a march and civil disobedience at the foot of the Capitol building. The energy of the crowd was great, and it was a diverse crowd, both generationally and ethnically. It was also rather big, about 200,000 -- about half the size of UFPJ's rally and march at the end of January, but ANSWER pulled this off with only two month's lead time. So organizationally it was perfectly promoted. However, the rally was far too long; about two and a half hours before even starting the march. A few of the speakers were really good (some weren't), but the sound system was lousy. If you have a couple HUNDRED THOUSAND people show up, you probably shouldn't be using a sound system only good for about a crowd of 5,000. And while I enjoyed the march, the civil disobedience at the foot of the Capitol Building was poorly organized and executed. There should have been ...

This is American democracy in action. My friend, Rev. Yearwood, was jumped by these six power-tripping Capitol Hill Police officers. He was wearing a button which read "I love the people of Iraq." I have seen the video a couple of times, and while it is disturbing it will be useful in court. If it was me, I'd probably pursue a civil case for damages. Rev. in hospital after anti-war arrest Published: Sept. 12, 2007 at 11:28 AM WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- An anti-war minister and U.S. Air Force veteran was treated in hospital after his arrest by Capitol Hill police outside this week’s Iraq congressional hearings. The Rev. Lennox Yearwood, president of the Washington-based Hip-Hop Caucus, was charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting a police officer after being denied entry to a House hearing room in which Gen. David Petraeus was giving evidence Monday, Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider told United Press International. But a video of his arrest, post...

U.S. Senator Craig from Idaho has resigned. There is something revealing about the way the Republicans pounced on Larry Craig. It's OK if you are caught with a prostitute, or probably even groping a female staff member -- but if you are not of the straight variety watch out! It is sad, in a way, that Larry Craig lived with such shame and self-denial, but yet he was still hypocritical and hateful. The sad part, was a significant portion of that was self-hate. Here's one of the latest articles BREAKING NEWS: Idaho's Sen. Craig resigns over scandal By Andrew Malcom, L.A. Times Idaho's Republican Sen. Larry Craig bowed to the inevitable pressure of his political party today and officially announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate effective Sept. 30. In an emotional news conference in Boise, standing next to his wife, Suzanne, and two of their three children, the 62-year-old Craig, who was arrested on suspicion of lewd behavior in a Minneapolis airport men's room in ...

By Ron Elving Npr.org August is normally the month when big-time Washington decision makers get out of town to relax and recharge. They spend time with normal people, some of whom may be family members. They remember what life is supposed to be about, and how to treat others with respect. With luck, they return to their offices with their decency and reasonableness restored. That's one reason September is normally a pretty productive month in Washington. But don't count on that happening this year. This August recess has been anything but a time-out for the power structure. The Washington wars have continued without interruption, and casualties have continued to mount. As usual, a lot of the hostilities have focused on personalities and the arc of careers. Most recent of the victims is Sen. Larry Craig, an Idaho Republican who may become the first member of Congress to be almost literally laughed out of office. Craig was arrested in a men's room in Minneapolis in June and p...

This weekend three of my dearest friends and I camped one night in a Baltimore graveyard. The St. Peter's Graveyard was abandoned by the church in the late 60s, but it was rescued by the community of nonviolent resistance, Jonah House. The great Liz MacAllister, and her late great husband Phil Berrigan founded Jonah House together more than 30 years ago. The place is simply a piece of paradise in the middle of an inner city. The paradise is created not by the wonderful setting of the graveyard and the woods over-growing one side of the property, nor of the bountiful apple and plum trees on the property. The paradise that has been created by Jonah House is their community. I was truly touched by the warm reception and absolute inclusion we received from Liz (who always makes an impression on me), Susan Crane, Joe, and Sisters Ardeth and Carol (of the Colorado Ploughshares action). Eta and Mike were away on their honeymoon still. Soon after arriving, Susan gave us a tour of the house...

~As delivered by Pete Perry at the William Penn House, Washington, D.C. August 16, 2007 Good evening, my friends. My brothers and sisters in the peace and justice movement. I wanted to talk to you this evening about something that is often glossed over in the current American peace movement, something that I believe has kept us from gaining more strength and broadening our movement, and in fact diversifying it. And that is the connection of the peace movement to the social justice movement. They are in some ways one movement, but commonly they are viewed separately. I pose this question to you – how can we possibly have justice here at home – in Washington, DC – when our government is spending more than $600 Billion on total military expenditures in 2006 alone? Peace is great – it is what we all want, but if we truly did have peace – if our government did turn away from invading and occupying other nations -- which never posed a serious threat to our shores – would we make sure our gov...

I was there the day about three weeks ago when Cindy announced she was running against Pelosi. It was outside of Rep. John Conyers'office. I think change is in the air, and all politics is local. The San Fran area is perhaps the most staunchly progressive in the whole country. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a check for Cindy's campaign in the mail. Peace activist seeks SF-area House seat Associated Press report Citing her son as inspiration, a tearful Cindy Sheehan announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The anti-war activist, a former resident of Vacaville, said she will run as an independent against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987. "The country is ripe for a change," said Sheehan, who spoke at a news conference in San Francisco, with her slain son's photograph attached to the podium. "It's going to start right here and right now." Sheehan's 24-year-old son...

Please join Declaration of Peace and the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance September 20, 2007 to demand no more war and endless occupation of Iraq. Sept. 20th: Speak Truth to Power Join us as we remember all the victims of the immoral and illegal Iraq War. Let us remind the decision makers of the folly and human cost of continuing to fund the war. Action on Capitol Hill, 12 Noon, 9/20 Legal/logistical briefing, nearby church, 6:30 PM, 9/19 Questions and/or want to join us? Write to septembertruth@yahoo.com In hope for peace with justice, Pete

Seven Peace Activists Acquitted by Jury Right to Dissent Inside Senate Office Building Upheld WASHINGTON – Seven peace activists were acquitted Thursday, July 12th, by a jury of their peers in a criminal case stemming from an anti-war protest inside a Senate office building. The group of activists from three different states and the District of Columbia were arrested on March 29, the same hour the U.S. Senate voted to spend $95 billion more on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were charged with unlawful conduct. "Today was a victory for justice and the people of this nation," said Gordon Clark one of the seven defendants pro se, and the coordinator of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance. The jury deliberated for four and a half hours Thursday before returning a unanimous not guilty verdict. The defense successfully argued their group was not any more disruptive than a comparable sized group of tourists, school groups or others. The p...

“Now is the time for us to stand up and stand together” By Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr. July 1, 2007 My Fellow Americans: The power of our voices against the U.S. occupation of Iraq is reaching the top echelons of the military and the administration. Our government is persecuting Americans who speak out against the U.S. military presence in Iraq. The U.S. military has launched politicized attacks on its own military members and moral leaders who oppose the war to discredit their voices of dissent. We have seen them target Cpl. Adam Kokesh to stop him from exercising his freedom of speech, after risking his life in Fallujah, Iraq. We have seen them threaten Sgt. Liam Madden for publicly stating the legal fact that the U.S. invasion is a war crime according to the Nuremberg principles. They have targeted Cpl. Cloy Richards, a soldier put in the media spotlight when his mother Tina Richards worked to get him the health care he needs after returning from Iraq eighty percent disabled. Th...