Gratitude for a Pink Perspective

I spent this morning quietly weeping. I had meant to do yoga, make breakfast, and go out for a bike ride before work… and then I checked my email- I was forwarded a youtube video that takes the song “Dear Mr. President” by Pink and matches it up with images. Although I have heard the song before, and was deeply moved (to tears), the assistance of the images was phenomenal and helped draw me into the emotional side of all of this war and how it affects individuals.
I think everyday about the war- although much less now that my best friend is no longer stationed in Iraq. I think about what our troops are doing over there. I try to think about what they even do in their “free” time… play video games? Watch movies? Write emails and letters back home?
And I think about the Iraqis… even about the most “normal” times of their days… like what it must be like going in the Market to get dinner. How they never know if this trip will be there last.
But even though I try to make an effort to be aware everyday that we are occupying another country, I lose my perspective- I become desensitized to the fact that right now, at the very minute that I am writing this, there are bombs going off. Someone is dying that didn’t have to- because of the decisions of a few people in office.
I am truly thankful when songs and videos can bring me back to my heart on this issue. Remind me how fucking unfair it is that Americans, Iraqis and Afghanis (all who did nothing wrong) are dying by the hundreds every single day.

DemocracyNow reported that the administration is looking at the numbers of dead Americans in July of this year as a sign that things are getting better.
77 American service members are dead. Their families will never see them, or talk to them again. They will never have the opportunity to raise their children, to kiss their partners, or hug their parents. And the administration thinks this is great because it is the lowest monthly death toll since November of this year. Great! Right? What they do not say, is that this is the highest death toll for the July since the war was begun 4 years ago. (It makes sense that July would be a slow month- being that the temperature rarely falls under 100 degrees, even at night.)
Anyway- keep it in perspective.

Watch the video.

And Contact Your Senators and Representatives. Tell them to bring the troops home immediately.

Write Nancy Pelosi and tell her the impeach Bush and Cheney for lying to us about the war.

Representative Wilson actually responds to her emails!

Almost daily I write emails to my congressional representatives regarding various issues that concern me. I have always believed that these emails probably never were read by those I was addressing them to, but I thought at the very least that a member of the staff would read them and notate that another citizen was interested in, say, ending the war, or impeaching Bush and that if enough people did this, we might have some change.
When I send these emails, I cheat a little. I send them to NM Senators Pete Domeneci and Jeff Bingaman, and to Representative Wilson, in addition to my Oregon Congresspeople. Although I don't live in NM any more- I will continue to vote in that state, because as we saw in the last election, the count I close enough that the Republicans can steal the state without much notice.
Anyway- in response to most of my emails, I get the generic response email, "signed" on behalf of the Congressperson by a member of their staff. It looks like this:

Sincerely,

Pete Domenici

PD: hjk

You can also tell the Congressperson isn't responding personally by the genericness of the generic email. Like one I received from Domenici that said something to the effect of, "Thank you for your interest in The Iraq War. As I am sure you know, I support President Bush's position in continuing The Iraq War". When I had written to him to say that the war was illegal and that we needed to bring the troops home immediately.

Today I got one such response from Heather Wilson's office, or so I thought. I had written her an especially long email about my concern with the Military Commissions Act and how it restricts writ of habeas corpus. Specifically I was writing to ask her to support HR 1189, which would reinstate habeas corpus. I almost deleted the response email without reading it, as it started out with that familiar generic greeting, "Thank you for contacting me regarding the Military Commissions Act". Yuck. But I scrolled down to find that sandwiched between generic paragraphs that seemed to talk at me was the following, in smaller font and formated differently:

"The text of the Military Commissions Act states that its purpose is to establish procedures governing the use of military commissions to try alien unlawful enemy combatants engaged in hostilities against the United States for violations of the law of war and other offenses triable by military commission. While the most controversial provisions in the law refer to alien unlawful enemy combatants, earlier provisions did not exclude United States citizens. Therefore, there is some controversy over whether this law affects the rights of habeas corpus for U.S. citizens. I do not support the removal of habeas corpus rights for U.S. citizens.

"Many legal scholars including those opposed to this Act agree that the Act denies habeas rights only to aliens, and that U.S. citizens detained as "unlawful combatants" would still have habeas rights and could challenge their indefinite detention. While formally opposed to the Act, Human Rights Watch has also concluded that the new law limits the scope of trials by military commissions to non-U.S. citizens including all legal aliens. The current law applies only to resident aliens within the United States as well as other foreign nationals captured here and abroad and that it does not restrict the rights and freedoms and liberties of U.S. citizens anymore than they already have been restricted.

"HR 1189 which would preserve the right of habeas corpus to all residents of the United States was introduced into the House of Representatives on February 16, 2007. That bill was referred to three committees; Judiciary, Armed Services, and Foreign Affairs. I am not a member of any of these committees, but I will closely follow this legislation as it goes through the legislative process."

Wow- Perhaps that was pretty on point and specifically addressed my email. Did some staff member take a moment to actually respond to my email? No, in fact, it was Heather, herself, as I noticed that at the bottom it was signed:

Sincerely,

Heather Wilson

Member of Congress

Wow- I actually think that she read my email and was moved to write a little bit of original text back to me... Although it is very Heather-like text... not promising to do anything except "follow this legislation", I feel validated knowing that my email had much more of an impact that I hoped that it would. And as a result, my daily email writing will continue with the faith in knowing that perhaps once in a while my words will make it to the desk of the decision-makers.

If you want to write your Representative Click Here and do it.

To get your Senators Click Here

I suggest writing also Rep. John Conyers, the head of the House Judiciary, and one of the people who can start impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney. Email the Judiciary HERE
Also email Nancy Pelosi HERE and tell her "Impeachment is NOT OFF THE TABLE"!

Let me know how it goes!

Let's Impeach

Howard Zinn calls for Impeachment

Contact the House Judiciary and tell them to begin impeachment proceedings against Bush and Cheney.
Contact them here
Here is what I wrote (as an example) to them today. I am committing to writing them a new email every day. I hope that you will too.
"I am writing to urge you to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice- President Cheney. President Bush has lied to the American people, to Congress, and, most importantly, to the troops about the reason that he went into war. This is a fact.
"He has also directly interfered with the personal rights of every American in the country by signing the Military Commissions Act, which suspends writ of habeas corpus.
"President Bush commuted the sentence of Scooter Libby, which prevents him from further testimony because he can plead the 5th amendment... it also means he won't serve any jail time for what he did, which, by the way, was a treasonous offense. President Bush and VP Cheney are obviously covering their tracks. Further investigation into the leak case would hurt them and the republicans deeply.
"President Bush clearly deserves to be tried for high crimes and misdemeanors. Please take action.
"I have heard that Rep. Conyers believes that winning the presidential election in 2008 is more important than ending the war in Iraq. Shame on you for playing politics with the lives of young Americans. First of all, impeachment would, in no way hinder the democrats from winning the next election. This is supported by historic fact, as well as by a recent poll by the American Research Group that found about 45% of Americans support the House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings.
"We are begging you, as your constituents and as your fellow Americans to DO THE RIGHT THING, please hold these people accountable for what they have done.
"If you do not, what is to stop the next president, Republican or Democrat, from ignoring the American People and the Congress and doing whatever they want to?
"Please search your souls and do the courageous thing. We will support you through it. "

Do.

Let us sing our apathy song.
As we sit in our heated and air conditioned homes
Eating an organic salad left over from last night’s late night fare.
And none of us thinks that it's strange that we can’t drink water straight from the tap.
It must be clarified and purified; de-ionized, electrified and held in an oil-based (but recyclable) material.

What comes to mind when I say 650,000?
Do you think of that condo you saw across town?
The bargaining amount of last night’s primetime game show?
Or maybe that piece of paper that magically opens doors for you that will remain forever closed to others?

Or do you think about one person?

Do.

Imagine a complete stranger,
But see how her hands have five fingers each-
Only one is buried in the palm of the small child at her side.
Her round face and blushed cheeks show her age is about 20
But the worry lines around her brow are convincing;
She has lived a much longer life.
She is smiling, her wide grin displays many teeth.
Straight and white like a movie stars, with only a slight gap in the front.
Her wet eyes shine, as she looks down at the child with no shoes,
Who is still grasping tightly to her mother’s hand, and laughing wildly.

Now image that she’s dead,
And the child’s laughter has turned to screams of disbelief and agony.

Now multiply.

What will you do today?
Drive in your car to your stepping stone job?
Smoke cigarettes while watching the latest David Lynch film?
Bicycle to the corner pub for an afternoon drink?

Maybe before, during, after- or even instead…
Take a minute to pause.
And think.
Where do you fit in?

Stop singing your apathy song.
Act instead.