Matcom, Skinner, DU FAMILY: turn our anger, disgust sadness into action?

[chimpymustgo]

These last few days many of us clenched our teeth as we saw the pictures of Iraqi prisoners being abused by laughing American servicemen and women. We watched and listened last night as Ted Koppel read the names of the American troops killed in Iraq.

This morning, I, and many of you, grimly noted the names of the war dead that Skinner has put on the DU homepage. Then, I wept through the New Yorker article outining the systematic abuse of Iraqi prisoners - please read this, and understand how we are "liberating" the Iraqi people. It is painful, but we cannot avert our eyes.

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040510fa_fact

Then I read Matcom's heartbreaking thread - a veteran's sorrow and outrage.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1505473

I don't think we are alone in feeling sick, disgusted, dismayed, horrified. What has become of our country? Endless war, war crimes, lies, censorship, voting misconduct, civil liberty curtailment, and the CNN news anchors are yukking it up, misleading and misrepresenting as I write this.

How can we turn our sadness and rage into a positive force? Can we do something collectively - as Democratic Underground - to take action for change?

Many of us have been, and continue to be active in political campaigns. I hope we all continue to do that. But I wonder if we can make a very focused statement, take a strong action that specifically addresses the outrages that our government is prepetrating upon us, our country, and the world.

Does anyone else share this desire? Do your have any ideas about how best to do something? One thought I had is to donate for a full page ad in the NYTimes. I'm sure you guys can think of someting - many things - better.

Now the CNN anchors are talking about Kerry's hair.

HELP!!!!!!!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Maybe a time of silence

Choose a day, a time, when everyone stops what they are doing, wherever they are, and stand and face the east in silence. This would be symbolic, because this is what school kids used to do on Armistace Day at 11 am. It could be a reminder that the US used to have ideals, and that there is still a chance that the world can live in peace.

[brook]

3. That seems like...

a good idea to me. Simple and eloquent. Respectful. Can be done anywhere. If you're in your car and can safely do so, pull over to the curb and stand. Do it at your desk, in your front yard, any place, alone or together.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. It should be planned

so it happens on a specific date and time. It is something everyone can do, and if enough do it, it can make a powerful statement.

[brook]

7. I agree.

And in this case, I do believe the 'silence' is eloquent. We live in such a noisy society that an angry scream is lost in the din.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

6. NO TO SILENCE! TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND SCREAM IN PUBLIC!

Remember the old town crier? That's what we all need to be.

Lunch hour in cities has thousands in throngs on the sidewalks. Get a bell and an American Revolutionary war tri-corn hat and use your lungs to list the crimes of King George.

This will resonate with people, a little theater and A LOT OF OUTRAGED INFORMATION!

HEAR YE - HEAR YE! HEAR YE- HEAR YE!

[chimpymustgo]

8. I like the moment of silence idea, but I LOVE the BELL!

Our new American Revolution.

[pberq]

2. Choose one issue

Good point. We need to turn our anger into action. How about picking one issue, like voting fraud, and gong after that?

In this article, Greg Palast talks about the purges of Florida in 2000 now being institutionalized nation-wide with Help the America Vote Act (HAVA).

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20040517&s=palast

[saigon68]

5. TIME TO BREAK OUT THE BOOTS

TIME TO GET MARCHING AGAIN

LOOKS LIKE COWARD AND CHICKEN HAWK ARE HAVING A PARTY IN THE CITY
THIS FALL

We need to go there and say hi to them







The second and last Nixon Inaugural Convention Miami 1972

Ron Kovic in the chair front far right

[undergroundpanther]

9. I can't stand it.

Maybe the military should get some morals, if not instituted frfrom the TOP down.Make it come from the bottom ~up then.
Shake the corruption from your own heartsand the hearts of your fellows until it has nowhere to hide from justice!


http://www.unknownnews.net/031126a-up.html

[VolcanoJen]

10. Oh, God. I just read that New Yorker article.

That's the hardest thing I've read in this entire fucking bullshit war. It was very, very difficult just to make it through the article.

When he returned later, Wisdom testified:

I saw two naked detainees, one masturbating to another kneeling with its mouth open. I thought I should just get out of there. I didn’t think it was right . . . I saw SSG Frederick walking towards me, and he said, “Look what these animals do when you leave them alone for two seconds.” I heard PFC England shout out, “He’s getting hard.”

Everyone really needs to read this story, and the mainstream media needs to start reporting the truth about Abu Ghraib: those photos do not represent the acts of a few; those photos do not represent an isolated incident, as we are being told.

Those photos represent a complete failure of the Army to instill honor and values in its soldiers. Those photos represent the result of what soldiers were instructed to do by their commanding officers, and worse, private contractors.

It's worse, really, than we could have even imagined after seeing the photos for the first time. It's far worse.

I just... wow, I feel like matcom now. :-( There really are no words, are there?

[chimpymustgo]

11. There ARE no words. What can we DO?

We have to take action. Do something. These criminals cannot be allowed to continue doing this to our country.

[chimpymustgo]

12. Any ideas? Given the level off outrage,

anybody want to DO something?

[chimpymustgo]

13. Sunday morning thoughts or ideas.

I just read a post about bombarding Congress with emails. I'm all for it. But again, I wonder if we at DU can organize a focused, defined protest.

[doni_georgia]

18. I'm in favor of massive protests and boycotts!

We've been silent too long. People are waiting for some organized protest. We need to get something going - like yesterday!

[keithyboy]

14. We've got tohit them where it hurts....in the pocket book and stock accoun

But most of us here are unwilling to sacrifice and to ask others to sacrifice. It would mean an unprecedented boycott of autos, gasoline, and products that make these greedy, evil oligarchs wealthy and powerful. It won't happen. We do not have the courage and stamina and purpose of the people who organized and successfully carried out the civil rights boycotts that took place in the sourth and bought an entire city bus service to its knees. It just ain't in us!! We are much too comfortable.

[Hubert Flottz]

15. Here is what I did!

Senator ______;

I would like to call this article in the 'New Yorker' to your attention!

TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB
by SEYMOUR M. HERSH
American soldiers brutalized Iraqis. How far up does the responsibility go?

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040510fa_fact

"How far up does the responsibility go?" is exactly what congress should look into ASAP. I can't believe my tax dollars are funding these awful things! Public Congressional hearings on this matter with all the witnesses UNDER OATH should be demanded! "This Aggression should not stand!"

How can we EVER expect to settle anything in Iraq with these types of things going on?

SNIP>
"At the Article 32 hearing, the Army informed Frederick and his attorneys, Captain Robert Shuck, an Army lawyer, and Gary Myers, a civilian, that two dozen witnesses they had sought, including General Karpinski and all of Frederick’s co-defendants, would not appear. Some had been excused after exercising their Fifth Amendment right; others were deemed to be too far away from the courtroom. “The purpose of an Article 32 hearing is for us to engage witnesses and discover facts,” Gary Myers told me. “We ended up with a c.i.d. agent and no alleged victims to examine.” After the hearing, the presiding investigative officer ruled that there was sufficient evidence to convene a court-martial against Frederick."

This does not sound at all like Bush and Friends are willing to conduct an honest investigation on this horrid matter! Congress should DEMAND some answers! Congress should DEMAND that the witnesses be examined in a public hearing! Are we a civilized nation, or have we become like the Nazis we defeated, or thought we defeated, in WW II? Does Congress not have any oversight over Rumsfield's Army anymore?

Sincerely;

[mmonk]

16. A symbolic parade and burial in some major city

about the death of democracy in America?

[chimpymustgo]

17. Here's another thread posted this morning.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1513941

I'm not sure about flag burning. I agree with the right to do it, but not sure that's the most successful tactic - it's so divisive, the message gets lost.

[seemslikeadream]

19. From the second I read Hersh I could think of nothing else

CORRECTED-Iraq prisoners faced "sadistic" abuses

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x523872


TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=523366&mesg_id=523366

Then this was reported

30 MORE TORTURE SCANDALS PROBED

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=524183&mesg_id=524183

[lostnfound]

20. kick

I like the full page ad idea.

[calimary]

21. Kick for Monday morning - good time to have an updated resource list...

, PLEASE NOTE MY SIG LINE – TO CALL YOUR REPS, TOLL FREE!!!

OR, TRY (877) – 762 – 8762. It’ll get you there, too! (Thank you, DUer redqueen!)


Please note, here, The World's Greatest Lists of Media Contacts – updated April 30, 2004– in the following thread:

LINK:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1504379

IF THEY THINK WE DON’T CARE, THEY WON’T, EITHER!


LOTS of good contact data. Just pick one or two. Just do something. Anything. Make a stink. JUST DON'T SIT IDLY BY and assume somebody else is gonna do it. That somebody else is gonna have to be us, too.