September the 15th in Photos

Adam Kokesh at a press conference at the

ANSWER office after the arrest for putting

up posters promoting the rally.

Adam Kokesh putting signs together in the ANSWER workshop.

The ANSWER workshop from above.

Adam Kokesh speaking at the press conference at the

National Press Club announcing the rally, march, and

week of actions.

Reverend Lennox Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus and

Iraq Veterans Against the War supported by IVAW

members Adam Kokesh and Geoffrey Millard. The Rev

was walking on crutches after ligaments in his ankle were

torn when he was tackled by the Capitol Police.

Carlos Arredondo, Dede Sheehan, Adam Kokesh, Lennox Yearwood,

Brother Ali, Cindy Sheehan, Tiffany Burns, and Carley Sheehan.

IVAW member Dan Black on his way to the rally.

I had the pleasant surprise of meeting my hero Scott Camil

before the rally. I offered him my extra cammie top that I

wore in Iraq for the die-in and it is now among his most

prized posessions and this moment among my most

cherished memories.

Adam Kokesh on stage before the rally introducing fellow

member of IVAW DC, Awall.

Adam Kokesh giving his speech on stage with IVAW members

from across the country. Outside of our annual conventions,

this was the largest ever gathering of IVAW members.

The "Corporate Color Guard" leading the march.

A few of the people that decided to march with us.

Geoffrey Millard at the front of the "Corporate Color Guard"
with the formation behind it. We always put him out front
because he's the prettiest.

Adam Kokesh calling the commands for the ceremony.
"Present arms! Ready, aim, fire!"

Adam Kokesh got pulled down off the wall and thrown
to the ground after trying to address the crowd at the capitol.

A female cop smiles while pulling Adam Kokesh down by
his junk. We were all charged with "crossing a police line"
but I was pulled across it.

After a while, the cops realized that they would have less

paperwork to do if they just pushed people on the wall

back into the crowd.

They hauled us up the stairs and after cuffing and frisking,
sat us down in front of the capitol. After a while, we really
started piling up. I scooted over to my hat lying next to me
with all my belongins and grabbed my cell phone. Holding
it behind my back, I managed to send my lawyer a text:
I might be needing you later.
Because by then, I had decided that we would continue to
resist by standing up and trying to walk down the steps.

After I got up, a number of people to joined me and I
began to walk towards the steps. Three cops came running
up and started pushing us back while I pushed back with
my chest while holding my hat in my cuffed hands behind
my back until finally one grabbed me by the arm and turned
me around and led me around to the back of the building. But
at least that got me to be number 23 out of nearly 200 arrested.

Garrett Reppenhagen managed to get to the top of the
steps to the great delight of the crowd below before
getting turned around.

After the rucus, the beautiful [name removed] found a moment
to pose for the camera.

These last photos were taken by Dan Black, who managed to slip out of his handcuffs. After the cops noticed him taking pictures, he had to ditch the camera, but Tassi managed to pick it up and we got it back to him.

They loaded us all on to buses and took us to the processing warehouse. Ken Mayers did a great write-up of the whole action here. After I left the warehouse around 1am (to a surprising great cheer and echo of my "Power to the people!") with my court date, the fun really started. Geoff did a stand up routine making fun of the cops standing around and they even did a perfect human wave. It took until about 7am the next morning to get everyone processed out. On of the cops I chatted with said that we had "really done us a solid" because they were getting so much in overtime. I waited outside until almost everyone was released and then took a nap before going to the Dave Cline memorial ceremony at the Vietnam memorial.

Resume for George W Bush (courtesy of my personal hero, Scott Camil)

RESUME

GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
-Law Enforcement: I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost" and is not available.
-Military: I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.
-College: I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE: I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock. I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:
- I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.
- I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
- I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
- With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
- I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
- I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
- I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
- I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
- I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
- I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
- I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
- I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire," Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
- I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.
- I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
- My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.
- My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
- I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused tointervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
- I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
- I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
- I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.
- I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.
- I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
- I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
- I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
- I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war" detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
- I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).
- I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
- I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
- I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
- I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.
- I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.
- I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.
- In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
- I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
- I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
- I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.
- Yet, I am the favorite of the religious right and God sent.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
-All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
- All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.

Email from an active duty SSgt and response

This email is from an active duty Staff Sergeant of Marines who was working at the Marine Corps Mobilization Command in Kansas City when I had my hearing back in June. If I remember correctly, he was the only working Marine who would shake my hand outside the building and he said he remembered me from when he was working with the CAG in Iraq.

Mr. Kokesh,

I was here when you court martial took place in June, your caravan conducted themselves with a lot of class for the most part. Maybe some people don't, but I respect the fact that you served forward deployed voluntarily, there are still quite a few Marines on active duty who seem to slip through the cracks when it comes to serving in combat. As far as wearing your digitals that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, it drew attention to yourself and I'm pretty sure that was the point of the demonstration but I think your point would have been just as well received if you threw on a pair of old woodlands. I don't have a problem with that aspect the issue I was most angered with was the disrespect. The Major was assigned the task of investigating your infraction chewed up the same ground you did, telling a Bronze Star recipient to go f#ck himself was wrong, that man is one of the most down to Earth officers I have ever met. That was wrong and you know it but that still doesn't take away the fact that put your life on the line for the people in this country, your error in judgment or the ruling at the court martial will never take away that. I spent 10 years on active duty all my time has been with Infantry units, I to have served in Fallujah if I want to express my opinion about this conflict when I'm out I feel I have every right to do so. So I guess I'm saying you probably should have thought it through a little more before you pressed the send button but hey what's done is done I thank you for your service.

***********************************************

SSgt V****,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am sorry it's been so long toget back to you as I've been struggling to get out from under a mountain of emails recently. I don't hold anything personally against the Major, nor did I mean to personally attack him. He was acting in his official role as an instrument of bad policy, and I reacted to that. Maybe I was just trying to assert my rights and emphasize that I was acting in an unofficial role.

You said, "if I want to express my opinion about this conflict when I'm out I feel I have every right to do so." While I agree, I'm afraid it's more than that. Your opinion based on your experiences has a certain value to this country in shaping policy at this point. Policy that is a matter of life or death. While there are appropriate restrictions on that expression while you are on active duty, if you think that lives MAY be lost needlessly as a result of current policy, you have a DUTY to share your opinions.

Semper Fi,

PFC Kokesh

Speech Delivered at the Rally on September 29th

My name is Adam Kokesh and I am a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. I am against this war because it is bad for America. It is bad for our security. It is bad for our national defense. It is bad for our ability to fight terrorism. It is bad for our stature abroad. It is bad for our military. And it is bad for our brothers and sisters who continue to lose their lives every day for a lie.

Recently, Congress, as in this Congress, as in OUR Congress, passed a resolution censuring MoveOn.org. What have we allowed our government to become? With all the problems facing America, they have chosen to spend more time silencing war critics than stopping the war! It’s no surprise that their duty to uphold the Constitution and impeach would be “a distraction” and a “waste of time.”

However, all power ultimately rests with the people and the people will get the government they deserve. America, we should not be ashamed of our government, we should be ashamed of ourselves. If you have come here to feel good about yourself so that tonight you can go get drunk, and tomorrow you can go back to your television, and Monday you can go back to work like nothing is wrong, you should be ashamed!

This is a war based on lies and the least you can do is help spread the truth. A third of Americans still believe that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9-11. One third of America is not hiding in cabins in the mountains; these are people you know! Share the truth with those considering joining the military. Join with Iraq Veterans Against the War in our Truth In Recruiting campaign.

I’m not so mad that I was lied to, as I am that I cannot trust my government any more. It astounds me that yet so many Americans want more than anything to trust our government. When will we wake up, and realize that the power of the truth is greater than any force brought to bear by any Army ever fielded?

They have referred to this movement of the people as “the surrender lobby.” But it is those who still blindly follow this inept President that have surrendered to lies, oppression, war crimes, torture, and the sacrifice of their civil liberties on the altar of American imperialism!

Well, the Marine Corps taught me too well. I do not know how to surrender. We cannot surrender. We will not surrender. It is time the people stop fearing the government, and the government starts fearing the people. When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty! Power to the people!

Responses to Posts on This Blog III

[Vietnam Vet Marine here. Just wondering Sgt. Kokesh, are you the
[new John Kerry? Yoou got to ramp it up a little if you want to get to
[his level. He was a master at smearing his brothers. Check out my
[video about Kerry and his speech to Congress in 1972.
[Semper Fi thanks for your service, and I may not agree with what
[you say, but you earned the right to say it. Just think long and hard
[before you go as far as Kerry did. This speech in the video cost him
[the election
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF3b9UIS29w

John Kerry had a number of problems politically, but I think it is grossly inaccurate to say that he was “smearing his brothers.” He did not accuse them of anything. He was reporting what a large number of veterans testified to at the Winter Soldier Investigation. No one who has actually seen the Winter Soldier documentary would say that Kerry “smeared” anyone except for the architects of the war in Vietnam.

Unfortunately, Kerry’s biggest problem was selling out. At the end of his speech before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April, 1971, he said, “When 30 years from now, our brothers go down the street without a leg, without an arm, without a face, and small boys ask why, we will be able to say ‘Vietnam,’ and mean not a desert, not a filthy and obscene memory, but mean instead the place where America finally turned and where soldiers like us finally helped in the turning.”

I got a chance to very briefly meet him a few months ago and quoted that back to him with “Iraq” instead of “Vietnam.” I wanted to call him out more thoroughly, but thought that was a kind way of reminding him where he came from. From my perspective, America hasn’t turned for shit. Or if it has, it turned back.

CNN INSIDE POLITICS
American People Give President Bush High Marks as He Nears 100 Days in Office
Aired April 24, 2001 - 17:00 ET

[Jonathan] KARL: What's the verdict? Is Vietnam a filthy, obscene memory or is it where America finally turned? KERRY: I think Vietnam did have a profound impact on this country, on our attitude, on how we send soldiers to places in harm's way today. I think what Colin Powell has said about how we make choices is a reflection of the attitude that I was talking about.

So he was confronted with the question and wasn’t quite able to answer it. It is very interesting that he mentions Powell, however, as he became the most powerful instrument of the lies that led us into Iraq.

[Lol, a coward speaks and we are supposed to listen?
[Run to Canada baby boy. Let the men defend out country.

Isn’t it funny that no one ever says anything like this to my face?

[Hey man, why'd you cut the Reverend and take the last protest
[spot at the hearing? You left him alone with a gang of thugs!!!

Yeah, I felt bad about that, but we had already testified to the cops that he had been there earlier and they hadn’t listened. If we had stayed with him, we would have given up our seats in the public (not protest) section too. I know that he would rather have two IVAW members present than zero from the attempt of making it three.

However, Geoff and I were the only ones there to meet him when he got released from the hospital. I got some quotes for his press release and had fun watching the cops struggle to figure out what to do with his crutches. He is still recovering from his injuries, but can now walk with a cane. Unfortunately, he is still unsure if there will be any permanent damage. As he was joking just yesterday, “It will be the limp that has me walking straight!”

I Pity the Haters

This Guest Contributor Article was in the Post - Dispatch today. Read the article, get fired up, and write your letter today!

Send letters to letters@post-dispatch.com

This guy teaches "Introduction to the Administration of Justice" and "Introduction to Corrections" at SWIC. It is scary to think this is the mind that is educating our future police officers!

Inside the confused brain of a war protestor
By Dave Morris
09/25/2007

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching the news and saw this woman — I've no idea what her name is — lying on the ground pretending to be dead as part of a protest against the war in Iraq, and then talking to a reporter. She managed to convey an attitude that shouted, "Look at me! See how special I am!"

I started thinking about this person on my TV screen. I gave her a name — Samantha, Sam to her many friends — and then created a story about the person I imagined her to be: Sam feels proud and elated for playing an active part in raising America's consciousness regarding "Bush's evil war." She gets what she regards as "a warm, fuzzy feeling" whenever she thinks about the "die-in." She smiles, telling how she and all the other caring, concerned protestors symbolized the horrible deaths our country is causing in Iraq.

Sam regrets that she wasn't arrested. She's also upset that a camera crew spent more time interviewing another participant just a few feet from her than it spent with her. I think poor Sam doesn't understand that tiny electrical impulses resulting from chemical reactions inside her head are responsible for many of her thoughts. She knows from first-hand experience that some substances such as alcohol can temporarily short-circuit her brain's wiring. But Sam doesn't appreciate the extent that her thoughts are controlled by the chemical makeup of that ugly gray organ lodged in her skull. No, Sam thinks she controls her thoughts.

In reality, she has about as much control over her thoughts as she does over her breathing. If she concentrates really hard, she can control her thoughts for a little while, just as she can hold her breath for a little while. And Sam doesn't understand that her thoughts — the brilliant ones as well as the incredibly stupid ones — propel her through life, responsible for virtually all of her supposed voluntary actions.

These thoughts, over which Sam has very little control, make her hate guns, make her watch Oprah religiously, drink herbal tea, vote for Democrats, love her children and feel guilty about all sorts of things. And they also make her feel superior to people whose values are different from hers.

Sam's brain is forever telling her conflicting things. Because of messages sent through little pulses of electricity in her brain, Sam believes that life means something very specific. So Sam became a protestor. She took to the streets carrying signs supporting embryonic stem cell research, calling for stricter gun laws and the abolition of capital punishment.

This protesting activity makes Sam happy because her brain has convinced her that she is a vital link in a human chain of enlightened people. It tells her that she is doing important work that will significantly improve life. What Sam doesn't understand is that her identity as a link in a human chain is merely something of which her brain has convinced her.

My brain tells me to laugh at Sam. What does your brain tell you?

Dave Morris of Smithton is a semi-retired criminologist who worked for the Illinois Department of Corrections. He serves on the adjunct faculty at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/6F0AE7CA936CDC5986257360007EC135?OpenDocument

MY RESPONSE

I Pity the Haters

My name is Adam Kokesh and I am Co-Chairman of Iraq Veterans Against the War. I led the massive die-in civil disobedience that Dave Morris refers to in his article "Inside the confused brain of a war protestor." A large part of our role as Iraq veterans in the anti-war movement is using our experience and credibility to cut through the lies and spin put forth by this administration and its lackeys who support its wars. Unfortunately, it is not enough that we have to contend with an administration lying about what is happening in Iraq, a media that fails to discern the truth, but now we have to contend with utter fabrications about our movement such as the one you published by Dave Morris.

In his article, he goes "inside the confused brain of a war protestor." Were he a trained psychoanalyst, there may have been some credibility to his story, but coming from someone who refers to the wondrous human brain as an "ugly gray organ," it is clear that his only real area of expertise is hatred.

He fabricated a whole story about a protestor that he saw on TV and held her up as the arch-type. "Sam feels proud and elated for playing an active part in raising America's consciousness regarding 'Bush's evil war.'" For me, this much is true. "Sam doesn't appreciate the extent that her thoughts are controlled by the chemical makeup of that ugly gray organ lodged in her skull. No, Sam thinks she controls her thoughts." Having majored in psychology, I am completely familiar with the concept here, but Dave Morris knows nothing of my educational background, and uses an academic idea to belittle.

The sad part about this article, is how clear it is that Dave (assuming he is a proponent of the war in Iraq) has no control over his thoughts. He thinks that because he can read the mind of a war protestor, he is not a victim of the propaganda of this administration. He still believes there is a connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda. He thinks if we just stay in Iraq for few decades more, sooner or later we will find those weapons of mass destruction. In reality, he is a tool who has only as much control of his thoughts as his government permits him.

"If she concentrates really hard, she can control her thoughts for a little while, just as she can hold her breath for a little while." If only Dave decided to take control of his thoughts for just a little while, and stopped breathing through his mouth, he might realize the value of protesting in a Democracy. He might realize that those who want to participate at a level beyond voting should be lauded and welcomed regardless of their position. I vehemently disagree with the counter-protestors who think we should be in Iraq indefinitely, but while leading the Iraq Veterans Against the War color guard, I halted the entire march to stop, present colors, and salute them.

For the record, I don't carry "signs supporting embryonic stem cell research," have never watched Oprah, don't vote for Democrats, and I am as anti-gun control as they get. The only thing I feel guilty about is being suckered into supporting the occupation of Iraq. I'm a Libertarian. But Dave would rather anyone not like him be put into boxes and conform to his stereotypes. To perpetuate such stereotypes is grossly irresponsible. He is right about one thing, I cannot help but feel superior to people like him. But it is not because of his values, but because of his hatred and ignorance. My brain tells me to pity him.

Adam Kokesh
Iraq Veterans Against the War

Adam Kokesh served as a Sergeant on a Marine Corps Civil Affairs Team from February to September of 2004 in the Fallujah area.

Speech Delivered at the September 15th Rally

(more on the rally, march, die-in, and arrests coming soon)

My name is Adam Kokesh and I am a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Today I wave the American flag with great pride. I wave it upside-down because I love my country, but it is in a state of distress. It is for my love of country that I am here today. I am here to return our democracy to its potential greatness.

I am against this war because it is bad for America. It is bad for our security. It is bad for our national defense. It is bad for our ability to fight terrorism. It is bad for our stature abroad. It is bad for our military. And it is bad for our brothers and sisters who continue to lose their lives every day in a futile occupation.

We recently heard the testimony of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Unfortunately, General Petraeus was acting in his roll as a political appointee and not as a soldier. We heard the same spin from the President. The suggested draw-down is actually a forced withdrawal. When the five brigades of the surge come home, we will have no replacements available to replace them. They have attempted to spin this by saying that they could request more troops. They may be right. They could further destroy our military by doing so, but I pray they don’t.

As we all know now, we were lied into this war and it is lies that are keeping us there. They lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction, they lied about Jessica Lynch, they lied about Pat Tillman, and they lied about Al Qaeda and Saddam. And those are just the lies we know about!

But I’m not so mad that I was lied to, as I am that I cannot trust my government any more. It astounds me that yet so many Americans want more than anything to trust our government. When will we wake up, and realize that the power of the truth is greater than any force brought to bear by any Army ever fielded?

But there are some lies that are being told to our children every day in order to convince them to sign up to be sent into the Baghdad meat grinder. Proponents of the policy in Iraq are quick to point out that everyone in the military volunteered, but what does that mean if most of them were tricked into enlisting by the lies that recruiters tell every day? It means that to support the troops means to cut through the lies, bring them home, and stop this criminal occupation!

Since joining the military came to mean fighting for a lie, they have become so desperate, that the age and weight standards have been raised; there are a record number of “morality waivers” for convicted felons; it is now easy to get in without a high school diploma; even convicted rapists are allowed to enlist. With the standards lowered at the highest levels of decision-making, we can only imagine what recruiters are resorting to when they have trouble meeting their monthly quotas.

We have come to a point in history when our government’s intents are so far from the will of the people that we have to rise up! WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW, RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY!

How do you resist liars? Speak the truth. How do you stop a war based on lies? It starts with the truth! When we take away these lies, we can force our government to choose between no military or one based on truth, that truly represents the will of the people. Iraq Veterans Against the War are kicking off our Truth In Recruiting Campaign with National Truth In Recruiting Day on Monday and asking concerned citizens to share our truth with those affected by our government’s lies the most. If you will be in the DC area on Monday, be in front of Union Station between 7am and 1pm for instructions and materials.

In the immortal words of Dave Cline, a dedicated warrior for peace and justice who passed away yesterday suffering from the effects of Agent Orange and three bullet wounds suffered in Vietnam: There is something you should know before you go. They wave the flag when you attack, when you come home they turn their backs.”

Iraq Veterans Against the War has put the truth in your hands. In the words of Mark Twain, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” Start walking America, because it is our lies that are now ravaging a sovereign nation on the other side of the world.

Today, we are marching to deliver a message to Congress. We will be dying-in to portray for them the cost of this war in human lives, and to send a clear message that we the people are rising up. This action is in solidarity with the people marching today in Baghdad who peacefully oppose the occupation of their country. Unfortunately, for those who have witnessed the occupation first hand, the deaths we will be portraying are all too real. The message reads:

Dear Congress,

We have come before you today with a simple message: as a representation of the people you have failed us and you have blood on your hands. This is blood that the American people will not allow to continue to be spilled in our name any longer. Today we are marching in solidarity with the Iraqi people who want the occupation to end. It is fully within your power to stop this tragedy.

You have just heard the testimony of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. General Casey was replaced by General Petraeus because he would not support the President’s agenda of keeping as many troops deployed as long as possible, keeping our military teetering at the breaking point. General Petraeus was selected for this position not only because of his abilities as a soldier, but also for political purposes. When he testified before you he was acting in his role as a political appointee. He told you the surge was working. This is the same absurd optimism that we have been hearing since the beginning of this occupation from its proponents: the insurgency is in its last throes; we are turning the corner. Why do you still believe these people?

We have come before you to ask that you consider the cost in human life of this conflict so far. We are also here to tell you that we will not stand for this corruption of our democracy any longer. We the people are in the streets. We the people are fed up. We the people are ready to rise up and take back our democracy.

Signed,

The Empowered Patriots

Today marks a turning point for our movement. Today we make the shift from protesting to direct action. Today we begin to restore the rightful order in our democracy. Today is the day the people stop fearing the government, and the government starts fearing the people!

Today may very well mark the beginning of the American anti-fascism revolution. March with us. Honor the dead with us. If you are willing to risk arrest, lie in the street, if not, lie in the grass. Die-in when you hear the air raid sirens. Raise your voice and your fist with us in defiance to send a message to our leadership. If you will not make peace for us, we will make it for ourselves! Power to the people!

Michelle Malkin Alienates Everyone From NeoCons

In case the NeoCon name hasn’t been dragged through the mud enough by the Bush Administration and their litany of ludicrous scandals, Michelle Malkin is doing her part to ensure that it receives the domestic equivalent of the international anti-American hatred that NeoCon policies have fostered abroad. In a recent editorial published in the New York Post, Michelle Malkin referred to the ANSWER Coalition as a “far-left group.” ANSWER stands for Act Now, Stop War, End Racism. I’m not sure which part of that she’s against, but if those are things that only the “far-left” stand for, then I might just have to turn in my Libertarian Party Lifetime Membership card. (Over my dead body!)

The ANSWER Coalition is organizing the September 15th march from the White House to the Capital to demand an end to the occupation of Iraq. Malkin goes further to say that we will be “descending” on the Capital (it may be an appropriate image, as our leaders sink to new lows and we must stoop to their level to communicate our grievances; perhaps we can tell them to stop the war by passing notes under bathroom stall partitions) to “demand immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan; immediate closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and immediate release of every last suspected al Qaeda operative in American custody; immediate impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney; and immediate capitulation to our enemies at home and abroad.” That last part is hers. Actually, almost the whole thing is hers. The single unifying message of the action is, “End the War Now!”

But it is very telling that as a regular cheerleader of the NeoCon agenda, she associates these causes of compassion and common sense with the “far-left.” The vast majority of Americans want our leaders to end the occupation of Iraq. That puts “far-left” in the middle of America and the NeoCons on the fringes. But then, we have always known this to be true. NeoCon = big government Republican = fascist. Remember kids, the opposite of fascism is freedom, as advocated by the Libertarian Party.

The September 15th march and rally, followed by a week of direct action, will mark a turning point for the entire anti-war movement and possibly for the course of American Democracy. The theme of this “protest” is “Protesting is not enough. Come for the rally, stay for a week of direct action.” The day after the march will be a training day, followed by National Truth In Recruiting Day, Congressional Challenge Day, a day of Pentagon outreach, Veterans’ Lobbying Day, and the Iraq Moratorium. There will be a number of direct actions to participate in for those who are willing to work to bring our government back in line with the will of the people.

I am against the continued occupation of Iraq primarily because it is bad for America. It is bad for our security and ability to protect ourselves. It is bad for our ability to respond to natural disasters. It is bad for our military. It is bad for America’s stature in the world. It is bad for our ability to fight terrorism. It is bad for making enemies of America faster than we can kill them. It is bad for my brothers and sisters in arms who continue to die while “the insurgency is in its last throes,” “we are turning the corner,” and “as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.”

The government that governs least governs best. Unfortunately, our government has not been satisfied over-governing, over-taxing, and over-deceiving Americans. It has to extend its authority to the other side of the world to deny Iraqis and Afghanis their God-given right to self-determination. Malkin refers to the protestors as the, “surrender lobby.” I, for one, refuse to surrender to the oppression of this administration. In the immortal words of Edward Abbey, “A true patriot must always be ready to defend his country from his government.” It is the poor, deluded supporters of the NeoCon agenda who have surrendered to lies, oppression, war crimes, torture, and the sacrifice of their own civil liberties on the altar of American imperialism. Unfortunately for them, the Marine Corps trained me too well. I don’t know how to surrender.

Our democracy is failing us. The time for protests, rallies, and demonstrations is over. It is time for the people to stop this war and bring our government back to the will of the people. We cannot fear their threats of violence and oppression. Something is wrong in a democracy when the people fear the government and not the other way around. It is going to take nonviolent direct action in the form of strikes, blockades, counter-recruiting, and supporting GI resistance. Let’s scare the crap out of those who would abandon principle to perpetuate their own power. Iraq Veterans Against the War will lead the way as veterans are always willing to put their lives on the line for what they believe is right.

Michelle, you have chosen your side, I have chosen mine. I will see you in the streets.

The Fig Leaf

I was actually against the war before the war. As a reservist attending Claremont McKenna College near LA, I attended the big day of student walkouts in February of 2003. There were speeches, a human peace sign, and a march through the middle of campus. I found myself surrounded by students and professors trying to relive the 60s. Their apparent ignorance was surpassed only by their lack of hygiene.

At our monthly drill in December of 2003 our Commanding Officer announced that the Marine Corps was seeking volunteers for the Third Civil Affairs Group. I jumped at the chance. I didn’t want to “miss the party.” I also believed at that time, along with most of America, that what we were doing in Iraq was cleaning up our mess. I thought it was responsible foreign policy, trying to do good by the Iraqi people.

I was activated two weeks before we were set to deploy. In between filling out forms and checking out gear, I got enough civil affairs training to learn that we would be working with the Iraqi people on local projects such as schools, clinics, mosques, and water projects. I was really excited about it. That was exactly what Bush was saying that we, as in Americans in Iraq, were doing there. I thought, “We are going to be leading the charge to rebuild Iraq.” (To Marines, every mission is a “charge.” Often times, Marines are tasked to lead the charge to clean the heads, or swab the decks, or stand around and smoke cigarettes.)

When I got to Iraq, it was a different story. We were six-man teams attached to battalions or regiments. And where we were in the Fallujah area, you couldn’t go anywhere without at least six humvees with machine guns. We often had to beg these infantry commanders to tag along on their convoys to accomplish our missions. We found ourselves constantly struggling to justify our existence. We even came up with a slogan: We care, so that you don’t have to.

Sure it was funny at the time, but in retrospect, it’s pretty messed up. Perhaps if the situation had been the other way around, namely that infantry units were attached to civil affairs teams, then the US military would have had some credibility with the Iraqi people when we told them that we were there to help them. But instead, we put the killers in charge. I’m not advocating a complete restructuring of the military here. Ours is the greatest on the earth, but it is designed to destroy other militaries. In the words of Jason Lemieux, “Hammers can’t fix computers.”

About halfway through my tour, I realized the futility of what we were doing in civil affairs and was forced to fall back on the old standard rationalization, “At least we’re keeping the fight off of American soil.” I was able to realize the fallacy of that soon after returning home. For every insurgent we kill today, there are two to kill tomorrow because we piss off so many people in the process.

The only way that I can describe the role of civil affairs in the occupation of Iraq is that it is a fig leaf. I was once praised for taking pictures of my team distributing humanitarian rations because they would be used in a propaganda magazine that would be distributed to Iraqis. I don’t believe it had much effect, (the Iraqi people know better) but it was clear that we were there more so that commanders could brag about all of the good we were doing rather than so that we could actually do any good.

We cared so that they didn’t have to. So that the infantry commanders didn’t have to. So that the joint chiefs didn’t have to. So that L. Paul Bremer (Director of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance until the “handover of power” on June 28th, 2004) didn’t have to. So that Donald Rumsfeld didn’t have to. So Dick Cheney didn’t have to, not that he ever pretended to. And so that least of all, President Bush didn’t have to while he gushed about making life better for the Iraqi people. I risked my life so that they could look good, and they still failed. We were a fig leaf.

This appeared in the first issue of the official IVAW newsletter, SIT-REP.

Berkeley without Hippies, a Convention with Hippies, and Exciting Stuff Coming Up

Last Wednesday, we held the first ever IVAW Truth in Recruiting Workshop at the Jazz School in Berkeley. Special thanks to IVAW members Jane Song for handling the logistics and to Kevin Turner for sharing his experiences with the Army and recruiters in his first public speaking event with IVAW. It was my first time hosting such a workshop, and as such, it was a sort of a trial run for the format that I have created. Despite low turnout, it was a resounding success. Everyone there was engaged and excited about the potential for Truth In Recruiting. Hopefully, the Bay Area Chapter (semi-defunct) will be reinvigorated as a result and host more workshops on their own.

This was the first in a series of workshops that I will be hosting, and hopefully many more IVAW chapters will also be hosting their own. The next one for me is this Friday in Santa Fe. The Santa Fe Chapter of Veterans For Peace (especially Ken Mayers) has been a great help in setting this up and promoting it.

This past weekend was the annual IVAW convention in St Louis. As it is traditionally, it was part of the Veterans For Peace annual convention. They are our parent organization, and as such, they take that mission to heart. They brought out their share of hippies, mainly as hangers on, but it was great to see the support that they showed us. It was there that I met Ken Murray, who was essential to making the Santa Fe workshop possible. I also got to be part of a lot of brainstorming and planning sessions that were immeasurably powerful. I even took the time to attend a “Warrior Writers” workshop, organized by the incredible Lovella Calica. So you can look forward to a little more of my creative side in the near future. (I can hear you cringing now!)

The main order of business for IVAW was to elect seven new members for our nine-man board of directors. There were fourteen candidates and in order of most votes received, the new members are: Camilo Mejia, Liam Madden, myself, Margaret Stevens, Phil Aliff, Jabar Magruder, and Jason Lemieux. We convened our first meeting that evening to select an executive committee of a Chairman, Co-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. By an incredible process of consensus and objectively evaluating each other without taking it to a vote, we selected Camilo Mejia as Chairman, myself as Co-Chair, Phil Aliff as Secretary, and Margaret Stevens as Treasurer. We were all incredibly excited about the strength of the new board. Personally, I am honored to be a part of it and feel that my selection is a great show of appreciation by the membership for the sacrifices I have made on behalf of IVAW since joining. I kept hearing, “You’re doing great work,” from many of the VFPers at the convention, and my reply was always, “We’re just getting started.”

Saturday night, we held a special screening of the documentary, "Meeting Resistance." It was incredibly powerful. Please check out their website. It is interesting to note that it was screened at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Sunday Morning was the "March to the Arch," followed by an afternoon packed with meetings until it was time to go to the airport. I will soon be organizing "Truckers Against the War." More to come.

Recently, I have been consumed with my preparations for National Truth in Recruiting Day and the ongoing IVAW TIR campaign. I was able to get a lot of people excited about it over the weekend and soon we should have a section of the IVAW website up and will be issuing a press release so we can start promoting it. I was also able to get a lot of folks committed for the September 15th week of action. At the rally in front of the capitol, IVAW will be leading the mass die-in with an honor guard that will be simulating a 21-gun salute before taps is played to start the die-in. Of course, it isn’t that smart to simulate anything with guns when surrounded by buildings guarded by snipers, so the seven men in the detail will be carrying the flags of various war profiteers (Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater, etc.) and will bang them on the ground to simulate rifle fire. If you can attend, please sign up at sept15.org to wear cammies to represent one of the American fallen at the die-in.

In more fun news, I have been asked to be the guest of honor at August’s meeting of the Modernist Society at the Bourbon bar in Adams Morgan. There will be a lot of local IVAW members there, so it should be fun.