Pax Americana

The Peace News from New Jersey

    I just want to talk about a few events in my home state.  A couple of weeks ago, at Monmouth University, there was a screening of the movie The Camden 28, which is about an amazing yet now obscure episode in the anti-Vietnam War movement. In 1971 FBI agents arrested a group of antiwar activists in and near a draft board office in Camden, New Jersey. Based on information from an informant who had infiltrated the group, they were charged with "conspiracy to remove and destroy files from the draft board, FBI office, and the Army Intelligence office; destruction of government property and interfering with the Selective Service system." If convicted, they could have faced up to 47 years in federal prison.
     Far from pleading innocent to the charges, they proudly proclaimed their guilt. “I ripped up those files with my hands,”  declared the Rev. Peter D. Fordi, adding, “They were the instruments of destruction.” The Camden activists asked the jury to “nullify the laws” against breaking and entering and to acquit them as a means of saying that the country had had enough of the “illegal and immoral” war in Vietnam. Among them were four Catholic priests and one Lutheran minister. All but one of the remaining 23 were Catholic laypeople. All were part of a nonviolent antiwar movement the government and the media referred to as the “Catholic Left.” 
    Yes, children, as hard as it is to believe now, there was once such a thing as the "Catholic Left". The Camden 28 eventually were acquited by a jury of 12 fine citizens of the Garden State, in a case that made legal history.   
    Alas, the screening was on a weekday, and as much as I wanted to play hookie from work, it turned out to be not possible for me to attend. I had especially wanted to meet one of the Camden 28 who was to be there for a post-film discussion. Instead I have decided to buy the DVD, and once I have seen it, I will be happy to pass it on to any Pax-ers who are interested. In fact, maybe we can start a little film/book exchange on topics relevant to this blog.
    From the Camden 28 to The Rutgers Three. On March 27th, to commemorate and protest the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, there was a large and very successful walkout at Rutgers, the state university of NJ, followed by a march through downtown New Brunswick. Although hundreds of students took part, and the event was completely peaceful, with no injuries or property damage of any kind, the police for some reason, decided afterwards to single out 3 of the participants for arrest on disorderly conduct type charges. 2 of the 3 arrestees were among the organizers, and had actually met with the police beforehand to ensure that the event would be peaceful, and were very surprised because they thought they had cordial relations with the NB police dept. The 3rd arrestee was a random participant. The Rutgers Three made their first court appearance  yesterday, where they pled Not Guilty, and are looking for pro bono legal assistance to continue fighting the charges.  More info about the Walkout Coalition at http://rutgerswalkoutcoalition.blogspot.com/  It makes me so happy to see this kind of activism at my alma mater.
    Col. Ann Wright,  who resigned in protest from the State Dept. on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, has also written a letter of support to the Rutgers 3. This Sunday, April 27th, her and Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, will be the honored guests at the 51st!! Annual Dinner of New Jersey Peace Action. (talk about staying power!)  

Don't Pay For War

Happy Tax Day!  Don't forget about the 2008 War Tax Boycott:

The U.S. government expects taxpayers to behave themselves and keep bankrolling this illegal, immoral, wrongful war. What does the U.S. government want from us in order to fight this war? For most of us, the government doesn't want our bodies, and it doesn't even want our consent. What the government wants from us, is our money. We can each resist $100 for one year. The consequences would not be so cataclysmic if the IRS caught up with you, and we can pool all of the refused war tax money and give it to survivors of Katrina and people who have fled from violence in Iraq.

Join us, whether it's just including a letter of protest with your return, a small symbolic withholding or something more drastic.

ntodd

2008 War Tax Boycott Update

An email from NWTRCC:

Tax day is less than two weeks away now. Although war tax resistance is an ongoing, often daily act against war, April 15 is the day when the media is looking for related stories. It's a great time to bring attention to the use of tax money for the crime of war and to the power of drawing the line when it comes to our money...

People continue to sign on to the War Tax Boycott website and request information. While 448 people may not yet end the war, it is certainly enough to send a message to Washington about the growing number of taxpayers who don't want their money used for war...Each of us who has taken on this form of resistance at any level is a thorn in the government's side.

As of today, we have:

• 448 total signers
• 246 plan to resist some or all of any federal income taxes
• 115 are reducing their income so as not to help pay for war
• 87 asked for more information or didn't specify their action

Of those 246 who plan to resist some taxes, a total of $301,363 has been pledged for redirection, with pledges ranging from $1 to $20,000!
...
There's the power of saying no, which feels great, but if the negative consequences of resistance from IRS collection are worrisome or get you down, it is also good to remember that that's the point when you know you've gotten somebody's attention. Try to make the most of it through letters to the editor; public protests; talking with coworkers, relatives, and friends - see Practical #3, How to Resist Collection or Make the Most of It..." 

Join us?

ntodd

I Should Be There

Well, I do have to wake up enough to figure out what to do for the anniversary, but this wasn't on my schedule regardless:

Thirty-two people were arrested on Wednesday when they tried to block entrances to the Internal Revenue Service in protests marking the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, police said.

Protesters had planned to shut down the building that houses the U.S. tax-collection agency, one of several antiwar events planned across Washington as the Iraq war enters its sixth year.

I might end up just taking a nap in protest and then going to volleyball (in a CodePink t-shirt), which is what I did when the war started.

I will remind people of the 2008 War Tax Boycott, though.  Join us!  It's not so scary as you think...

ntodd

Nonna, What Did You Do To End The War?

My dear and v. creative friend, K., sent me the following information. March 19th will be, sadly, the fifth anniversary of George W. Bush's boneheaded decision to start killing a lot of people. You know, the decision in which we all, to one degree or another, acquiesced. I didn't riot in the streets, and I should have.

Well, there's hope of deliverance. Here's a list of activities going on in DC on that date.

Various activist groups are expected to hold anti-war events in downtown Washington D.C., on March 19, 2008. The size and locations of the events will vary, possibly resulting in traffic delays and other
disruptions. Event coordinators are encouraging attendees to avoid confrontations and violent activity.

The bulk of the day's activity will occur at McPherson Square Park at Eye St. (I St.) and 15th St., NW beginning as early as 7:00 a.m. Expect travel disruptions on streets north of the White House between
H St., NW and P St., NW and between 12th St., NW and 19th St., NW. Expect significant disruptions on K St., NW between 12th and 19th streets.

Planned events:

· "Blockade the IRS": Participants will meet at 7:30 a.m. at McPherson Square Park and march south-southeast to the IRS headquarters at 1111 Constitution Ave. between 10th and 12th streets, NW. They will gather outside the main entrance at 8:00a.m.

· "Disrupt the War Profiteers": Student groups and activists will converge upon the streets throughout the day to rally outside offices of large corporations such as ExxonMobil, Shell, Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Bechtel and the IMF/World Bank. Violent actions are not expected but participants may attempt to enter buildings and disrupt routine activities.

· "Separate Oil and State": Participants will meet outside the American Petroleum Institute at 1220 L St., NW at 13th St. Starting time for this event is not yet available.

· "Critical Mass": Cyclists will meet at 8:30 a.m. at Dupont Circle (P St. and 19th St., NW). They will travel through downtown possibly riding south on Connecticut Ave., NW to the White House. It has been their intent in the past to intentionally disrupt traffic.

· "Granny Peace Brigade Knit-in": A sit-in is planned for noon outside the Veterans Affairs office at 810 Vermont Ave., NW. Violence is not likely and there should be minimal disruptions to routine
activities.

· "Funk the War": Similar to Disrupt the War Profiteers, student groups will converge on the K Street corridor. Participants will meet at Franklin Square Park (14th and K streets, NW) at noon and travel
down K Street.

· "March of the Dead": Dozens of activists will roam the city dressed in black representing those killed in the Iraq war. Minimal disruptions are likely.

· "The World Can't Wait": Anti-torture rally at 1:00 p.m. at Lafayette Square Park on H St., NW at the White House.

· "March on DNC": Participants will gather at 5:00 p.m. at the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall and march to the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at 430 S. Capitol St., SE.

In addition to the events listed above, other unannounced demonstrations are possible. Temporary roadblocks and detours may be established on short notice. Law enforcement officers will be on site
to maintain the flow of traffic. Monitoring local media for updated road conditions is recommended. Public transportation may be more congested than usual. In areas where these events are planned, especially near the White House, parking may be restricted.

In addition to the activities on March 19th activist groups plan to hold a variety of events in Washington beginning March 10th. The impact of these events on traffic or businesses is expected to be minimal.

More information here.

I plan to knit a few rows of G/Son's pirate sweater with the Granny Peace Brigade Knit-in.

What are you doing that's more important than stopping the war?

Gandhi Peace Brigade Update

E-mail update from Jes:

President George W. Bush has vetoed legislation passed by Congress that would have banned the CIA from using waterboarding and other controversial interrogation techniques. This country, as represented by our president, now condones torture in the eyes of the world.

My trial for speaking out on torture is tomorrow (Tuesday).  In November, 2007, I was charged with "unlawful conduct on capitol grounds" for telling Senator Dianne Feinstein I disapproved of her vote to confirm Mukasey as our next Attorney General.  He refused to define waterboarding as torture.  When she finished explaining her position, I said,"Shame on you Senator!&nb! sp; Shame on you!  I'm from California ..." Here's what happened.

Hopefully, the jury will find me not guilty.  The maximum, but unlikely, sentence the judge can give me for a guilty verdict is six months in jail.  If the next Gandhi Peace Brigade newsletter is a little late, you'll know why.

Ellen Taylor is now on the 21st day of a rolling fast to encourage Congressman John Conyers to begin impeachment hearings against Vice President Cheney.  She needs a successor for the Hungry for Justice? Impeach him FAST!  If you would like to carry the Impeachment torch for this rolling fast, even if it's just for a few days, please respond to this email.  Leslie and Ellen need your help to keep this going.  If you don't want to lead the fast, but you would still like to participate, please sign up.

These two AMAZING WOMEN have led and maintained this fast, with the support of over 500 other fasters.

I will be breaking my latest fast today after 5 days.  I encourage people who can to join for even just a day or whatever you can muster. Sign up and lend your moral weight to the effort.  It's a good way to register dissent and put pressure on Conyers and doesn't even involve all that scary law-breaking stuff.  And consider redirecting the money you save on food toward a good, nonviolent cause.

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Fasting Again (Again)

Thank goodness I don't have the temptation of another Code Pink Potluck. I couldn't have gone and fetched food for people like Leslie did last week when she was still fasting.  She's got way more will power than I can muster.

Anyway, you might recall that Leslie broke her fast after 25 days and Ellen took over, and the whole effort is 500 strong and still going strong. I hope to point that out to Nancy Pelosi this morning on a conference call.

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Winter Soldiers

Freep:

Around the table in the back room of the Peace and Justice Center, the Will Miller Green Mountain Veterans for Peace chapter meets monthly. Those at this month's meeting were mostly men, with the exception of three wives belonging to the group. Most were older than 50; one man was half that age.

Since 1990, the group has organized with a sense of responsibility to serve the cause of world peace, by raising awareness about the effects of war on all involved, through nonviolent means. The members produce a monthly televised forum for topics relating to their cause, host rallies and lectures, and march in parades during the summer months.

Dave Ransom, a retired minister and veteran of the Korean War, said he founded the chapter in his frustration over the country's first involvement with Iraq under the administration of President George H.W. Bush.

"I saw someone walking down the street with a 'Veterans for Peace' shirt," he said, unbuttoning several layers of clothing to reveal his own. Club President Bert Thompson showed a matching shirt beneath his green flannel.

Following the passing of a tin of homemade cookies and several slices of pizza, the group reviewed the minutes of past meetings before Thompson suggested they discuss their most recent television broadcast.

Ransom mentioned the ways the war will affect the health care system as injured and mentally traumatized soldiers return home. Dave Ross voiced his opinion that the war is being conducted without major concern for civilian casualties, and listed the ways the state could have used money spent on the war locally, for infrastructure improvements and health care.
...
Howard served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a truck driver in Iraq in 2003. As president of the local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Howard is promoting "Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan," which will take place March 13-16 at the National Labor College outside of Washington, D.C. The event will feature veterans from across the country sharing eyewitness accounts of what's happening in Iraq on a daily basis; viewers can watch the testimony via satellite or streaming video.

The "Winter Soldier" project has its roots in a similar gathering 30 years ago of veterans of Vietnam, the war Dave Ross fought before returning to join the anti-war coalition, which preceded Veterans for Peace: Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Ross speaks with bitter humor when he describes Howard's group as the illegitimate child of Veterans for Peace. "We should have prevented him from being here."

Would that Ross and John Kerry had been able to prevent the need for another Winter Soldier.  Hopefully the Iraq war vets will be able to pacify their hearts and learn from the post-Vietnam era.

ntodd

Stop Me Before I Fast Again

Email update from Jes (whom I finally met last Weds):

Leslie broke bread in Congressman Conyers' office on Friday to end the first phase of her 25 day fast.  Ellen Taylor, her CodePink sister, has stepped up to take the lead in this rolling fast, which will continue until impeachment hearings for Vice President Cheney begin. Over 500 people from across the country have joined Hungry for Justice? Impeach him FAST! by signing up through the CODEPINK Women for Peace website: http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=3974. 

Leslie is feeling better and is more determined than ever to see Congressman Conyers begin impeachment hearings for Vice President Cheney. She and Ellen will continue to visit Democratic Judiciary members' offices to talk about signing the Wexler letter and supporting impeachment hearings.  Representative Keith Ellison signed on last week! http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/news.asp?ItemID=230 

I'm going start fast number four Thursday.  I'm beginning to get the hang of this...

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Think Fast

CodePink:

Today is the 21st day of Leslie's Hungry for Justice? Impeach him FAST! to pressure Congressman John Conyers and the House Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney. 400 people from Vancouver, Washington to Kennebunkport, Maine, have joined the fast, with more signing on every day.

Unfortunately, Leslie's not feeling well. Last summer she was taken to the hospital for dehydration during her Lieberman fast and at the time she promised her son she would end her fasts before jeopardizing her health. We don't want to lose the momentum established over these past three weeks, so we're asking for your help. She would like to ceremoniously break bread in Congressman Conyers' office to end her fast and then pass on the leadership role to a successor. This person would continue the fast and visit Conyers' and other Judiciary Members' offices until the next successor takes over, and so on, and so on ... until Congressman Conyers begins impeachment hearings. If you would like to take on a leadership role for the fast, please let us know. If you can't come to DC, but you still want to participate in the fast for a day or longer, please sign up here.

Rotation fasts/hunger strikes are a good way to keep the pressure on without totally endangering the actionist.

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

We Still Have Fasting To Do

Email update from Leslie:

I met with Congressman Conyers for over an hour on the 12th day of my fast, after many postponements.  He asked me about my father, Ed Blankenheim, and I pulled out my copy of Freedom Riders, 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice.  I showed him the picture of my dad bent over chocking after the Freedom Riders' bus was set on fire. "This could have easily killed everybody on the bus." he said.  He paged through the book and continued to talk.  "Look at this bus after they got through with it.  Boy oh boy, so much violence ... and law enforcement was involved in so much of it ..."

"And they are now." I replied. "I've attended both of the Mukasey hearings.  Apparently he believes the president is above the law.  It seems he will do nothing to hold him or the members of this administration accountable.  That's the reason I've come to speak with you today, why I'm fasting ... to plead with you to begin impeachment hearings."

I read him an excerpt from the book describing why my father joined the Freedom Riders: "Farmer had asked "to keep an eye out for potential Freedom Riders" and [Dave McReynolds] felt he had found a good prospect in Arizona.  Blankenheim had seen enough of the South ... to be wary of directly challenging the region's racial shibboleths, and he knew full well that he "was being invited on a trip into the Deep South as part of a mixed-race bomb."  After a little prodding from Farmer, though, he could not resist joining the Ride."  "I was no less concerned about the danger of my commitment," my father later explained, "but all that I had seen in the South and all that I had learned from Dave stared me down.  I had come too far and I couldn't turn back."

"This is how I feel ... we've come too far and I can't turn back. There are now 42 people who have joined the fast.  We're desperate to hold this criminal administration accountable.  We respect you, we honor you, and we're asking that you PLEASE start the impeachment hearings against Dick Cheney.

"Have you heard about the contempt of Congress charges we've issued to Miers and Bolton?" he replied.  "If they don't comply, we'll challenge them in court.  We're not depending on him (Mukasey) to comply.  He'll do what Gonzalez did and not enforce it.  We think this is a historic step forward."

"But if you held impeachment hearings executive privilege wouldn't apply.  You could subpoena Cheney himself."  I talked about the Watergate hearings and Vice President Agnew's decision to step down before he had to face an investigation and John Dean's crucial testimony which led to Nixon's resignation.  Neither would have happened if there hadn't been open hearings.  The Congressman reminded me he introduced the first impeachment resolution for Nixon.  "And you could do that now.  Bush and Cheney are far worse than Nixon ever was. Tell me what I need to do to reach you." I asked.  He replied, "I think you've reached me."

I read him a statement from a dear friend, Gael Murphy: "We come to you with a heavy heart, overflowing with the sadness of the American people, and the state of our beloved country. The government's inability to deliver justice to its people, creating so much mistrust that it is destroying our inner fiber.  It is time for a cleansing of all of the crimes, known and unknown.  The war, the torture and the lies committed in our name and their consequences cannot be ignored or they will be repeated.  When South Africa began to create its democracy it chose a path of truth and reconciliation to resolve conflicts left from the past.  We desperately need such a process in this country to be able to move forward and to accomplish that which you devoted your entire career to achieve.  Good policy is good politics.  The Congress has a sworn duty to impeach if crimes are committed.  The Constitution says Congress SHALL impeach.  It is not a choice.  Bringing Justice to the American people is the only successful road forward."

"Truth and reconciliation is what our country wants.  The American people and the world need to see us hold these criminals accountable for all the suffering, the war, the shredding of our Constitution.  Sir ... Bush and Cheney continue to threaten Iran, even after the N.I.E. came out with a report stating they have no active nuclear weapons program.  They're just looking for an excuse.  I'm so afraid Bush will attack Iran before he leaves office" ... and I started to cry.  I showed him some of the beautiful photographs Jes and I had taken during our trip to Iran last May and I told him stories of the wonderful people we met there.  He was silent.

His staff reminded him he had an appointment, so Congressman Conyers ended our talk by saying, "I see many people across the country and I have many friends who want me to take this action [of impeachment].  I think about it every day.  It's a decision I've taken lots of advice on, but I have to decide.  I'm deeply moved, but the decision I make I will have to live with and I will soon have to answer to my friends. They will either agree or disagree with what I do."

He signed my copy of his book Constitution in Crisis (see slide show photos), we shook hands and then I hugged him.  He told me, "I'm sympathetic to the issue you raise and feel your deep passion and belief."

I believe Congressman Conyers was touched by my plea, but he's not yet willing to start impeachment hearings.  I will continue the fast.

Well, I'm breaking fast again tomorrow, but it looks like I have more hunger ahead in support.  Power to Leslie for giving this her all.

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Fasting Again

Well, right now I'm eating because I'm once again starting my fast atthe time Leslie's meeting with Conyers is supposed to start.  Another 3-day affair that you might consider joining in whole or in part.

Hecate had posted a link to an interesting post about the spiritual side of fasting.  It had an interesting quote that I googled to find the original source, which had other thought-provoking things to say:

How much of your daily routine do you perform subconsciously? You may be surprised. Sleepy patterns that barely need your presence to execute. A day of well-rehearsed reflex actions from brushing your teeth to dinner table talk. I once met someone who said, “My wife and I have been married so long that I know what she is going to say even before she says it.” Over the years they simply stop talking, tired of repeating the same old things or simply having nothing left to say.

The behavior of a caged animal is like that. Clearly seen in the worn path around the outside of the cage where day after day, the poor creature circles in the same course with automated steps. An endless rut of same-o same-o where the romance of life is gone. Replaced by dull duty, repetitious responsibility and hopeless escaping. It is difficult to become awakened to how much your life is driven by impulse and instinct.
...
It’s time for a change.

Fasting is a knife that cuts away superficiality, getting to the bone. Effective, because it is able to break up daily patterns upon which you have become so dependent. When those patterns of pleasure are removed, you are left with your own internal resources.

There's more God stuff in there than I generally go for, but it does reflect part of the point of fasting for me: breaking up my own routines.  If I'm to become the change I wish to see I must disrupt my own behavior patterns in the effort to do undermine the status quo in our society.  That's worth the price of admission from my perspective even if what I'm doing doesn't convince Conyers to launch an impeachment investigation.

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Des Wrongly Arrested Again

Harassment, plain and simple.

ntodd

Fasting With Betty

E-mail update from Leslie:

Susan Serpa called last night and told me about Betty Hall's commitment to Impeachment (above).   I burst out crying.  I told her, "I don't want anyone to die for this!"  My appointment with Conyers has been postponed for the fourth time. I told Rinia, Conyers' scheduler, "There are now thirty-four people fasting and each time he postpones our meeting, I have to let them know.  There are a lot of people counting on me ..."  Then I told her about Betty and the tears started flowing.  When she heard this, she seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation .  I could tell she was moved.  She said she'd try to fit me in sooner, but if I didn't hear back from her, the meeting would be this Friday@ 10:00am.  I will let you know what happens.

Here's Betty's story:  She is a 14 term state representative from New Hampshire and has introduced HR 24 to the state house, which asks for the Impeachment of Bush and Cheney.  The public hearing for the resolution is next Tuesday, February 19 (the day after President's day).  She is joining the CodePink Fast.

Susan told me, "She is 87 years old and refuses to eat until Conyers begins impeachment proceedings."  Betty told Susan, "I've had a good life. I can't think of any better way to end it."
...
This is the 10th day of my fast and if I could, I'd curl up in bed with a book, but I know I can't.  I feel overwhelmed by how big this impeachment fast seems to be getting.  I'm especially concerned about Betty. I have been a pacifist for years and I don't want to be responsible for anyone's death, even if it is her own choice.   I just sent you all an email and I didn't include the most important last paragraph, so I'm sending this to you now.

In the paragraph Susan Serpa talks about Betty:  "Now, before you think I am heartless by "encouraging" this act by announcing it, I know Betty. When she decides to do something, there is no changing her mind - she's going to do it. She will not eat until impeachment proceedings begin in earnest. We owe it to her to make this worth her while. It's time to pull out ALL the stops and get Conyer's ass into gear! We cannot let this clear-headed, heroic woman sacrifice herself."

I agree and I will do whatever I can to support her.  I don't know how yet, but I will be talking with her to find out....Again..."We cannot let this clear-headed, heroic woman sacrifice herself."  We must reach Conyers heart and change his mind!!!

Welllllll...it looks like I'll need to start up my fast again.  I'll renew this time Friday at 10am and end it Monday at 10am.  Who else is on board?

ntodd

PS--Once again, please let Conyers know what you're doing (John.Conyers@mail.house.gov, 202.225.5126, 202.225.0072 Fax), and post here so we can get a good count of how many people are supporting Leslie and Betty and the impeachment efforts.

Call Today So I Don't Have To Fast Again!

Code Pink:

Leslie has been strongly influenced by the Civil Rights Movement. �My father was one of the original Freedom Riders in 1961. I grew up hearing the incredible stories of people putting their bodies on the line for justice. I want to remind Congressman John Conyers of the time when the government told the people, "Be patient." and the country said "NO!" People are dying every day in Iraq, being tortured in our name, being denied habeas corpus...and Iran continues to be threatened ... "

Leslie began a fast on Rosa Parks' Birthday last Monday. She will be meeting with the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, this Tuesday to ask him to begin impeachment hearings against Dick Cheney.
...
Twenty-five fasters have joined Leslie ... some for a day, some for a week...some for as long as it takes! "Our commitment to holding this shameful administration accountable gives us strength." says Leslie. She and Ellen Taylor, the first CodePinker to join Leslie in the fast, walked the halls of Congress to encourage Judiciary members and our representatives to sign the Wexler letter (being submitted this Friday) http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/news.asp?ItemID=230 asking for impeachment hearings against Dick Cheney. They left feeling hopeful.
...
Chairman Conyers needs to hear from us RIGHT NOW! Send him a message of encouragement. Let him know that we care about the Constitution and we�re counting on him to continue investigating wrongdoings in the White House. Together we can convince him that only impeachment hearings will achieve that goal.

Join the Hungry for Justice? Impeach him FAST! campaign by replying to this email. Our numbers are growing each day. If you can't fast, commit to calling Chairman Conyers at 202-225-5126 as long as the fast continues. Make it part of your daily routine!

Last count we had 5 Paxers fasting for some number of days, which is awesome.  Anybody else want to join in the Lose Weight For Impeachment fun?  I shed 6 pounds!

Regardless, please call Conyers and tell him you support Leslie, the fasters and revving up the impeachment engine.

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Chicken ala Democrat

Rolling Stone:

Quietly, while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been inspiring Democrats everywhere with their rolling bitchfest, congressional superduo Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have completed one of the most awesome political collapses since Neville Chamberlain. At long last, the Democratic leaders of Congress have publicly surrendered on the Iraq War, just one year after being swept into power with a firm mandate to end it.

Solidifying his reputation as one of the biggest pussies in U.S. political history, Reid explained his decision to refocus his party's energies on topics other than ending the war by saying he just couldn't fit Iraq into his busy schedule. "We have the presidential election," Reid said recently. "Our time is really squeezed."

There was much public shedding of tears among the Democratic leadership, as Reid, Pelosi and other congressional heavyweights expressed deep sadness that their valiant charge up the hill of change had been thwarted by circumstances beyond their control — that, as much as they would love to continue trying to end the catastrophic Iraq deal, they would now have to wait until, oh, 2009 to try again. "We'll have a new president," said Pelosi. "And I do think at that time we'll take a fresh look at it."

Excuses are like assholes: everbody got one.  Speaking of which, Taibbi clearly stole the term chicken dove from me...

ntodd

The Arc Of History Is Hungry, But Bends Toward Breakfast

In comments over at the CodePink blog, Jim Preston provided an update on Leslie's quest to get impeachment on the table:

Leslie did not meet with Chairman Conyers yet...

Congressman Conyers Is Waiting for a Push to Start Impeachment Hearings

On Thursday, Chairman John Conyers' House Judiciary Committee held a hearing at which Attorney General Michael Mukasey said that he would not investigate torture or warrantless spying, he would not enforce contempt citations, and he would treat Justice Department opinions as providing immunity for crimes.

None of this was new, but perhaps it touched something in Conyers that had not been touched before. Following the hearing, he and two staffers met for an hour and 15 minutes with two members of Code Pink to discuss activism and impeachment, including Congressman Robert Wexler's proposal to begin impeachment hearings on Cheney.

Conyers expressed fear of what might happen following an impeachment, the danger of installing a Bush replacement or losing an election. He cited “potential ramifications that have not yet been examined yet” that could have the “opposite effect.” Conyers told Ellen Taylor and Manijeh Saba: "You need to be more than brave and courageous. You need to be smart."

Leslie's meeting is now scheduled for Tuesday.  I'm still going to break my fast as planned on Sunday at 3pm, but can and will restart if necessary--perhaps a regular, "rolling" fast every week from Thursday to Sunday.

ntodd

Impeachment: It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

It's official: my fast in support of Leslie's action with John Conyers begins.  I will break my fast at 3pm on Sunday.

It's not too late to join in.  Just commit to act in solidarity and perhaps help apply moral pressure on the House Judiciary chair to put impeachment on the table.  Choose a day or days and make your action public!

ntodd

PS--Racymind reminded me that yesterday was the 34th anniversary of the House voting to investigate Watergate.

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

[Update: contact information for Rep Conyers if you want to let him know what you're doing and why: John.Conyers@mail.house.gov, (202) 225-5126, (202) 225-0072 Fax.]

Not Fast Enough

AfterDowningStreet:

Leslie Angeline began a fast [Monday], Rosa Park's birthday. She had been trying for some time to get an appointment with Congressman John Conyers to ask him to begin impeachment hearings. She began a sit-in in his office yesterday, and within 5 minutes he agreed to an appointment with her on Thursday at 3 p.m. But she is going to continue fasting, because he has not agreed to open impeachment hearings, and can of course be expected to tell her than yet more non-impeachment hearings on impeachable offenses is all we need.

Leslie adds in a message to the Code Pink House mailing list:

I want to present him with a strong, concise argument from the perspective of the Civil Rights Movement...and my father, one of the original Freedom Riders.  I hope to remind him of a time when the government told the people to "Be patient!" and the country said "NO!"  We can't wait any longer for Congress to uphold their oath to the Constitution.  People are dying every day in Iraq, being tortured,! being denied habeas corpus...They continue to threaten Iran...the list is too long and serious.  We need to hold the Cheney/Bush administration accountable!!

I spent the morning in the Library of Congress copying photographs from the Civil Rights Movement. I have pictures and stories from our trip to Iran to share.  I hope to inspire him ...I wore a Rosa Parks quote on Monday...On Thursday I will wear one by Martin Luther King Jr., "There comes a time when silence is betrayal."
...
I just heard Jodie Evans is joining the fast, along with Ellen Taylor and Carrie Biggs-Adams.  Gael Murphy will be fasting on Thursday.  If you would like to join us in solidarity for a day or longer...please let me know and I'll tell Congressman Conyers the number of concerned citizens who are Hungry for Impeachment and Peace!

The fast of moral pressure can be very powerful, whether it's one person or many, but the more the merrier.  I just wrote to Leslie and have committed to joining her fast officially at 3pm tomorrow, when her meeting starts, and continuing until 3pm Sunday.  Anybody else on board?

ntodd

PS--Leslie posted pictures related to Monday's action on Flickr.

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Five Years Too Many

United for Peace asks you to join in the following activities next month:

• March 13-16, Winter Soldier: UFPJ is committed to providing major support to Iraq Veterans Against the War and its Winter Soldier hearings in Washington, DC, on Marc­h 13-16. We will help local groups plan events that directly link to and amplify the Winter Soldier hearings, where those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqis and Afghans, will tell the nation the real story of this war.

• March 19, Mass Nonviolent Direct Action in Washington, DC: UFPJ has initiated the planning and organizing for what we hope will be the largest day of nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience yet against the war in Iraq. We encourage people to be in Washington, DC, on March 19th to be part of the civil disobedience, or to assist in support work. We are working to have all 50 states represented in this massive action.

• March 19, Local Actions Throughout the Country: We encourage those who are not able to make it to Washington on March 19 to organize local actions. These actions may vary in location or character, but they will all be tied to the protest in Washington and all sending a message to the policy makers: It is time to end this war and occupation!

Sound the alarm.

ntodd

I Can't Believe They Let These Criminals Walk Free

Damned hippies making the streets unsafe for tyrants:

Look Mom, no record! Arrest record, that is – because the old Drunken Boat album is still out there. Yep, this morning I’m mailing in the letter to the unflappable Chittenden County State’s Attorney, T.J. Donovan, that vouches for the fact that yours truly has completed the 30 hours of community service he required of me in order to drop the two charges of trespassing hanging over my head.

For those keeping track at home, you’ll recall that I went on one hell of a reckless and lawless spree last year in a rather quixotic attempt to wake the sleepers about the fact that we are, indeed, a nation at war. What can I say? I’m a silly boy who is easily lulled into the illusion that the practice of democracy in the full view of the public still matters.

Pop quiz: which Methods did Michael et al employ?

ntodd

PS--In case you hadn't seen, Liz and Des also had good news.

[x-posted at Dohiyi Mir]

Complicity

I get called self-righteous a lot when I opine that we're all complicit in the ongoing war.  We failed to riot in 2000 like the Brooks Brother Bots did, we didn't light a fire under Congressional Democrats during the debate about the AUMF in 2002, we didn't force Kerry to challenge questionable results in Ohio, and after Democratic victories in 2006 we have yet to escalate beyond moderately-large marches.  We haven't changed our consumerist behaviors enough, which fuels our wars as well as climate change.  We continued to pay our taxes.

From where I sit, it's self-righteous to claim no moral responsibility for killing over a million people just because you're satisfied with your vote for Al Gore 8 years ago.  It is, of course, a continuum and there are some people with more blood on their hands than others. Like, say...Colin Powell.

So on this 5th anniversary of Powell's shame and lies, allow me to remind you that there is a War Tax Boycott this year.  Join me, Code Pink, the National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee and thousands of other people of conscience in defunding the war since Congress has failed to do so.  Remember, there's a continuum in tax resistance, too, so you don't have to pull An NTodd and refuse to file, quit your job and live in abject poverty. Consider a symbolic withholding or simply including a protest letter with your return.  And tell your friends and family.

Don't fear that you are alone.  You aren't.  And while the IRS is a big scary bureaucratic matrix of control, consider how many bombs you had to dodge on your way to work or the supermarket or kids' basketball practice today.  None?  Then you're doing much better than the Iraqis. Isn't taking a small chance with the tax man the minimum sacrifice we can make as individuals who want to stop the murder?

ntodd

(x-posted at Dohiyi Mir)

Pink Ladies Get Press

Washington City Paper (h/t to My Favorite Witch):

Once a self-described “shy” librarian, Desiree Fairooz had her star turn on Capitol Hill last October.

The Code Pink activist faced off with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a congressional hearing room, screaming that Rice had the blood of millions of innocent Iraqis on her hands. Photos showed a pained-looking Rice clutching the back of a chair while Fairooz circled, her red-painted hands a few inches from the secretary of state’s face.

The incident—protest or borderline criminal assault, depending on one’s political views—made headlines around the world and sent the message that Code Pink Women for Peace wasn’t going away.
...
Code Pink volunteers find out pretty quickly that the very quality that attracted them to the group—its in-your-face tactics—has made the peace work harder.

Benjamin and another prominent Code Pink activist, retired Army colonel and diplomat Ann Wright, have been denied entry to Canada because of their arrests in anti-war protests.
...
“Now we’ve been labeled as a terrorist group,” says Leslie Barkman, a massage therapist from Sunderland, Mass. She chafes at critics who label Code Pink “a bunch of crazies” when she feels it’s the people who aren’t protesting who should question their sanity.

In  the play The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail, Ralph Waldo Emerson famously asked his friend Henry David Thoreau, “Why are you in jail?” Thoreau responded, “Why are you not in jail?”

Some people wince when they see Pinkers engage in protest and guerrilla theater.  For some reason they're convinced that it will somehow turn people for war, or some such nonsense.  They're wrong.  Time for the armchair critics who have no flair for the dramatic to consider getting off their asses and into the streets, and into the halls of Congress.  Period.

ntodd

State Of The What?

Michael gave me a heads up about the planned banner drop at Gov Douglas' State of the State address, but with this damned, persistent flu I could not attend.

I don't really have the energy to even blog it now, but go to his site and you can read all about it.  I'll just highlight one thing:

Douglas said later, "This was the State of the State, not the State of the Union."

I totally forgot that Vermont doesn't have the highest per capita casualties in Iraq.  Good on the Gov to remind us that all he's charged with is stuff within our little Green Mountain Cocoon, which I guess is why he won't listen to his own commission's recommendations to deal with global climate change.

This, BTW, is a reason why I not only refuse to pay my Federal taxes, but my Vermont taxes as well (noting that I don't refuse to pay my local property taxes, which go to roads and education).

ntodd

(x-posted at DM)

All I wanted for Xmas

  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

So Long, And Thanks For All The Pink

Some thoughts as I prepare to leave DC tomorrow over at the CodePink blog.

ntodd

War Criminal Theater

In front of the Prettyman Courthouse after the Gitmo prisoners' lawyers spoke to the press about the CIA tapes.  

Just before we ran over to the DoJ.  Des had played Cheney previously, but switched to a cop role and promoted Gael to Veep--I was Bush while we were at the courthouse, then Ellen took over after lunch. 

Kissy-kissy! 

More Guerrilla Theater below!

Hall Of Shame

Post over at CodePink about some actions I'm missing today.  And now, back to grading--or at least grumbling about it.

ntodd

Spare Me

George has some questions for Congress over at the CodePink blog.

ntodd

In The Pink: Day Two

Another exhilarating day.  Not getting much grading done, so I'm not joining tomorrow's actions since I have to get final scores submitted by midnight Thursday.  Anyway, some pictures, several of which are in my usual blurry idiom.

Outside the Senate Judiciary Cmte room.  I'm in the middle.

Rep Jack Murtha spoke with us for quite a while this evening after the House approved the appropriations bill.

NTodd in this afternoon's outfit, reflected in the cop car that took Des away.

If you weren't scared off my me and my fuzzy hat, there are a bunch more pictures (not of me) below...

In The Pink: Day One

We began the day at the RNC. 

Medea Benjamin on the left; George from NYC; Desiree Ali-Fairooz; Josh (who introduced me to No War No Warming).  

Nice shades, George. 

More from a tiring, fun, sometimes frustrating day below the fold...

Alternate Holiday Gifts

Hello, Pollyanna here, because I always seem to end up either before or after someone else's very depressing post. Anyway, as part of my Code Pink pledge to gift peacefully and responsibly this year, I am donating to charity in lieu of gifts to family members - and also recycling some of my own books, by gifting them to various Atriots.   

So if you've been meaning to donate some $$ to charity, but haven't gotten around to it yet, remember, more donations means less federal taxes.  Here is my pet charity this year (because my niece is a board member): The Kgwale le Mollo Foundation which provides scholarships to rural South African students. There's also Hecate's favorite,  Heifer International, Albert Einstein's favorite, the International Rescue Committee, and, always in good taste, The American Friends Service Committee

Seriously Pissed Off Grannies Acquitted

     Since before the invasion of Iraq, Patriots all over the country have registered their protest in creative ways. My heroines are the Seriously Pissed Off Grannies who have conducted a Surge Protection Brigade every Friday in front of the Portland, Oregon military recruiting station. I’ve managed to make it over there a couple of times to cheer them on. Once I arrived just as they were being arrested. The vision of their rocking chair hanging out of the police car trunk will not leave me. Many of us sit on our bums in front of the computer, waxing eloquent as to why the Damned Democrats won’t save us. Others place their chairs in the threshold of the recruiting center, inspiring us all.

     On Good Friday, the group of grandmothers and grandfathers, ranging in age from 56 to 76, decided to commemorate what is perhaps the most famous political murder. They placed “blood” (water soluble finger paint) on their hands and left prints on the recruiting center windows and sidewalks. Yesterday a six-person Portland jury found them innocent of criminal mischief and several jurors commented afterwards that the trial was a waste of the court’s time and resources.

     Deputy District Attorney, Seth Steward, thought differently: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1197608115266020.xml&coll=7

He warned the jury, “think of some evils that could happen and why it is important for the line to be drawn here. On Sept. 11, some people drove planes into a building to prove a point. The defendants say their conduct is necessary to avoid imminent danger because people are dying in Iraq. That is the same thing suicide bombers say."

     Three cheers for my heroines – The Seriously Pissed off Grannies (and one Grandpa).

Press release from the National Lawyer’s Guild who represented them:

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/12/369899.shtml

Pictures of our heroines and hero:

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/12/369920.shtml

Don't Buy Bush's War

I was thinking I might go a day without mentioning war tax resistance, but you can blame the CodePinkers for this:

First option: Sign the pledge and join the growing number that aims to reach 100,000 to act in concert on April 15th. What percentage of your taxes you decide to withhold is up to you, there are suggestions on the FAQ’s from 7% the percentage of the taxes paid we spend on Iraq and Afghanistan, 31% the amount slated for military spending in 2008, or 51% the total of military spending, which includes the interest on the debt.

Second option: We understand that many good people of conscience who deeply oppose the Bush administration's wars will choose not to take the tax resistance pledge. For those individuals, we urge you to consider a financial action that will help speed up the end of the wars. Please consider calculating 7% interest on 7% of what you will be paying in taxes in 2008 and donating all or part of it to help the work of peace organizations to end the war. Fund peace as you fund war. In actions of Civil Disobedience the support team is just as important as those who take the risk. You can donate part of it to your favorite peace group in the coalition and can give a portion of it to dontbuybushswar.org, to support this website and this work. Our increased capacity to outreach will help ensure we reach our goals. Donate Now!

Third option: You don’t need to join with 100,000, you are ready to register as a War Tax Resister NOW.  Join the 2008 War Tax Boycott!

Fourth option: We are also appalled by the continuing government planning for a military strike on Iran. We applaud Chris Hedges, who in the Nation has announced he will not pay his federal taxes if the United States strikes Iran. Our coalition members are working to help prevent such an attack, but we encourage you to join with Chris if we do bomb Iran. You can mark the box provided on our pledge page to let Chris know you will be joining with him.

Other actions local groups can join:

• Sunday, December 16 or Monday December 17: Plan a Tea Party to launch our Tax Resistance Campaign
• Will you join us this Sunday, Dec 16 by organizing a Boston Tea Party action?
• Plan an action in your city or town.

Craaaaaaazay, I know.  But think about this: you're funding the war with your taxes and yes, if you were the only one refusing to pay you could get in trouble.  How about joining 100,000 other people of conscience?  What if you made a pledge to resist and then got two other people to follow your example?  And they did...

Pretty soon we're talking about real money and real resistance to tyranny, the murder of millions of Iraqis, and the waste of over a trillion dollars.

ntodd

There Is No Dana, Only Zuul

Oh noes!  Whilst I was hobnobbing with the WTR folks, apparently Dana zoomed way ahead of me in the CodePink Peace Pledge thing.  Not only is it a nice thing to do, pledging for peace during the holiday season, but the project offers concrete ways to create peace and, if I win, my next trip down to visit the CodePinkers in February will be free!

So sign on if you haven't already, and spread the word!

ntodd

For Fourlegs, Who Can't Interpolate

The resistance I run into wrt WTR (man, a punster/schizophrenic such as myself has no idea what to do with such a target-rich environment!) often puzzles me because people seem to think that even looking cross-eyed at the IRS will result in having all your assets seized, being thrown in jail, and having your life ruined not just in this universe but every other until the end of all existence.  Much of this is thanks to an acceptance of the matrix of control our government has imposed upon us, as well as ignorance about the concept of war tax resistance, so before my latest Paxcast uploads I wanted to post a few things to maybe help clarify things.

The biggest thing I've realized is a mistake on my part: my extreme example, intended only to show that Ordinary People can Act Powerfully, makes folks feel like I advocate everybody behaves the same way.  Turns out, there's a continuum of action and a variety of ways one might resist war taxes, to wit:

• Refuse a small, symbolic token amount, such as $10, $10.40, $100, etc. This gets the IRS’s attention, but with less chance of consequences. It’s also simple.
• Refuse a percentage of your taxes equivalent to the percentage of the federal budget used for war/military purposes.  This shows that you will not support that use. For example, you might reduce the tax you pay by:

• 7% — the proportion of 2008 income tax to be spent on the military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, or
• 31% — the proportion of 2008 income tax slated for current military expenses, or
• 51% — the part spent on total military expenses.

• Refuse all of the federal tax — because the government will spend a portion of every tax dollar on war purposes.

Another way to approach WTR is to "live simply," which was the theme of this weekend's gathering in Deerfield.  Many of these options are not mutually exclusive, but rather mutually enabling and supportive.  We're not all at the same place where we can do all these things, but I hope people will consider creative ways to approach the problem of our current wars and militarization in general.

ntodd

and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Surah 5, Verse 32.

Here's an inspirational tale of the multiplier effect of one individual's actions. I first read about it in  "The Ornament of the World" by Maria Rosa Menocal, but an article in the December 3rd issue of  The New Yorker tells the full story, with many new details. If you don't subscribe to the New Yorker, I recommend getting hold of this issue, tout suite. It’s about the world’s oldest Sephardic Haggadah, the Sarajevo Haggadah; so called because it resided in the National Museum of Sarajevo, but the book was originally created in medieval Spain. It’s an illuminated manuscript, on parchment with gold and silver leaf, and it was the treasure of the museum. How it made its way to Yugoslavia, after all Jews and Muslims were exiled from the Iberian peninsula in 1492, no one knows for sure. In 1942, when the Nazis were occupying Yugoslavia, they went to the museum to confiscate the book, as they had confiscated and destroyed Jewish texts all over Europe. But the chief librarian, an Islamic scholar named Dervis Korkut, who took his responsibility as custodian of the books very seriously, hid the book from the German officers. He then snuck it out of the building under his coat, and took it to a remote mountain village, where he placed it in the care of the imam of a local mosque. The imam put it among the Korans and other Muslim holy books, and when the war was over, he returned it to Korkut, who then put it back in the library.

This would be a touching and inspirational enough story, but there’s a lot more. About how Korkut and his wife also rescued a young Jewish woman, Mira Papo, who was a member of the partisans, by hiding her in their home for months, and how eventually the tables were turned, and Dervis Korkut’s youngest daughter, a refugee from ethnic cleansing in Kosovo in 1999, was rescued through the actions of Mira Papo-even though Mira had died the previous year.

I do believe that when human beings are at their best, they can make miracles happen.

Partying Simply

Thoreau in Civil Disobedience:

I meet this American government, or its representative, the State government, directly, and face to face, once a year - no more - in the person of its tax-gatherer; this is the only mode in which a man situated as I am necessarily meets it; and it then says distinctly, Recognize me; and the simplest, the most effectual, and, in the present posture of affairs, the indispensablest mode of treating with it on this head, of expressing your little satisfaction with and love for it, is to deny it then. My civil neighbor, the tax-gatherer, is the very man I have to deal with - for it is, after all, with men and not with parchment that I quarrel - and he has voluntarily chosen to be an agent of the government. How shall he ever know well that he is and does as an officer of the government, or as a man, until he is obliged to consider whether he will treat me, his neighbor, for whom he has respect, as a neighbor and well-disposed man, or as a maniac and disturber of the peace, and see if he can get over this obstruction to his neighborliness without a ruder and more impetuous thought or speech corresponding with his action.

I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name - if ten honest men only - aye, if one HONEST man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this co-partnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America. For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done for ever...

Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence. A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then; but it is irresistible when it clogs by its whole weight. If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose. If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible.

If the tax-gatherer, or any other public officer, asks me, as one has done, "But what shall I do?" my answer is, "If you really wish to do anything, resign your office." When the subject has refused allegiance, and the officer has resigned from office, then the revolution is accomplished. But even suppose blood should flow. Is there not a sort of blood shed when the conscience is wounded? Through this wound a man's real manhood and immortality flow out, and he bleeds to an everlasting death. I see this blood flowing now.

I will be at the Woolman Hill Quaker retreat and conference center in Deerfield, MA, this weekend, partying with other people engaged in WTR:

Most war tax resisters try to live simplified lives by consuming and owning less and living well on a reduced income. This generally makes our war tax resistance easier and more sustainable for the long haul. By extension, these ethics will take on increased importance as we experience the change in our lives brought on by global warming, population growth, and scarcity of natural resources.

At this year's Gathering, we will explore the theme, "Taking Control of Change: Embracing Simplicity." Are we victims of change, or do we respond positively to it? Do we see ourselves as "consumers," or do we want to reduce our ecological footprint as much as possible? During our Friday evening panel discussion (free and open to the public), we will hear stories of people who are striving to live the theme. On Saturday, there will be small group discussions on simplicity in many areas, such as transportation, food, housing, etc. Participants can choose their topics of interest.

Hopefully I won't be forced to eat trout in milk, but I'll do what is necessary and hopefully learn from my fellow resisters.

While I'm gone, consider donating to the cause and signing the peace pledge.  I know not everybody is in the same spot I am and able to seize opportunities to act in such drastic ways as quitting jobs and defying the IRS, so I'm trying to be a proxy of sorts and could use any s