I was at Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C.
I did not go to Washington specifically for the Inauguration because I am no fan of Barack Obama. To me he is just another politician looking to get ahead at our expense. I was there on union business.
Lots of people are going to find out the hard way just how bad this guy really is and who he really works for.
Live and learn.
The thing concerning me is organizations that should be educating the people are doing just the opposite. They are letting important opportunities slide.
Take this outfit United for Peace and Justice.
I walked through the crowds at the Inauguration festivities from the music to the day of Obama's swearing in handing out a few leaflets about Israel's criminal escapade in Gaza. I asked people to sign the petition initiated by the Duluth-Superior Club of the Communist Party USA. I belong to this little club we call our circle of friends.
I did not see a single person from United for Peace and Justice handing out leaflets or circulating petitions.
Here we had hundreds of thousands of people and United for Peace and Justice apparently had no presence here at all. I did not see anyone from "Progressives for Obama." I met a few people from the Progressive Democrats of America standing around with some leaflets. I wasn't even offered a leaflet from them I had to ask to see what they had. One woman was just standing there with an arm full of leaflets. She still had the same stack of leaflets when the crowds dispersed. She told me she was asked by a cop not to pass her leaflets out.
As I walked through the crowd talking to people showing them some pictures of their tax dollars at work in the Gaza Strip cops were constantly following me. Three cops came up to me and insisted on seeing what I was passing out. Some guy in a suit with a flag pin on his lapel tried to make me stop handing out my leaflets. He said I was bothering people. I wasn't hurting anyone. This was a political event. The problems of the Gaza Strip are a legitimate political issue even if Obama does not want to talk about it. I wasn't arrested. I must have been within my rights. Why would cops try to intimidate me in the first place. One of them said, "We have to be careful. We aren't saying you are a problem. We just have to be careful." Is this the kind of government we can expect from now on?
I passed out about 400 leaflets each of the three days I was at the Inauguration festivities. I collected just under 600 signatures on our little petition.
I never saw anyone passing out the People's Weekly World. One leader of the Party told me, "This isn't the time or place for you to be doing this." All he did is stand there and clap and cheer for Obama. He even clapped along with others when Obama proclaimed victory over "fascism and communism." I asked him why he clapped for that and he said, "Where are you from?" I told him I was from Superior, Wisconsin and was a member of the Duluth-Superior Club. He said, "That explains everything. Get away from me."
While in Washington I took in a couple sessions of the Progressive Democrats of America gathering. I sat in on one session where it was brought out that Barack Obama had been endorsed at his request by the socialist New Party in Chicago and he said he had a picture of Obama there. Right away another member of the panel jumped in to "save" Barack Obama by saying Obama was not a member of this socialist party only endorsed by them. I don't understand why so many people who say they are progressive feel they have to defend Obama all the time.
I had a very eye opening experience during my weekend in Washington D.C.
For some reason the left has decided its role to play in this country is one of protecting and defending Barack Obama.
I was under the impression our role is to protect and defend the interests of the laboring class.
I can't help but ask why United for Peace and Justice wasn't out among the crowds during the Inauguration festivities distributing this message? Now that the crowds are gone they send this email out.
UFPJ ACTION ALERT: Gaza Crisis and Dr. King's Birthday
Jan. 12 - 19 Week of Media Action: Gaza in Crisis
Today, as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King. Jr. and look towards the historic inauguration of
President Barack Obama, we urge that you take a moment
to write a letter to the editor, draft an op-ed piece,
or call a radio talk show about the need for the
incoming administration and Congress to take immediate
action on the raging humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The Bush administration is using their last days to
fortify their legacy of endless war by signing a
bilateral memorandum of understanding with Israel.
Please let us know about your experiences during the
January 12-19 week of media action on Gaza, send links
to your letters or media interviews to
organizing@unitedforpeace.org. See NYC-UFPJ and Peace
Action in the media at our resource page here.
Gaza Talking Point # 5
The courage and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
remains a guide for today. He said, "A true revolution
of values will soon cause us to question the fairness
and justice of many of our past and present
policies...A nation that continues year after year to
spend more money on military defense than on programs
of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
Today, we honor King's legacy by continuing to work for
a new foreign policy which recognizes that there are no
military solutions in Gaza or Iraq and Afghanistan.
A ceasefire is in place in Gaza. It is a beginning, but
no provisions have been made by the Israeli government
to withdraw all troops, open the border crossings for
humanitarian aid deliveries and provide guarantees for
the safety of civilians, access to emergency services,
medical care, shelter, food and water. Civilians and
civilian institutions in Gaza have suffered the brunt
of the Israeli bombings and invasion of Gaza.
Israel is not fulfilling its obligations under United
Nations Security Council Resolution 1860 (passed last
week), which states that Israeli soldiers must leave
Gaza and unimpeded humanitarian access must be allowed.
President-elect Obama's promises of change in foreign
policy can begin with immediate attention to the
humanitarian crisis in Gaza after 23 days of bombings.
We urge that President Obama and Congress set aside the
memoranda of understanding signed by President Bush and
the Israeli government because it is a continuation of
eight years of military solutions and sidelining
negotiations.
Now is the time to lift the 19 month-long siege of Gaza
which led to the crisis!
Facts & Background
UN Secretary-General Statement on Recent Israeli
Bombings
Statement by General Assembly President Miguel
d'Escoto, to the 10th Emergency Special Session on the
Illegal Israeli Actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and
the Rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, New
York, 15 January 2009
UN Security Council Resolution 1860 on the Situation in
the Middle East and Palestinian Question
Israel-US Memorandum of Understanding between Israel
and the United States, 16 January 2009
"Update on Gaza." Charlie Rose Show on PBS featuring
Professor Rashid Khalidi, Roger Cohen, and David
Makovsky
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