Tuesday, November 25, 2003

For several months now I’ve been very much involved with a volunteer committee to set up a small, but important event that took place this past Friday, November 21st. The sold-out event was called “Bringing Vision Back Into Politics” and featured Congressman Dennis Kucinich. The event was held at The Kaye Playhouse in the Hunter College complex in Manhattan. Also featured that evening was James Schamus [producer of the film Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon], Barbara Ehrenreich [author of “Nichel & Dimed”], Angela Gilliam [writer/professor] and musical group “Harbor of Refuge”. I arrived just after 7pm to help staff the Kucinich materials/pamphlets tables. All the items were free and I enjoyed conversing with many folk on Dennis and politics. Unfortunately Dennis could not be with us in person that evening. This was due to Congress extending its session in DC on Energy and Medicare bills. He’s a very committed person to the issues. The evening before the event he’d done up a video of himself speaking on many important issues. Issues that concern ALL us Americans and that are being destroyed by the Bush Empire. The audience really got pumped from watching and listening to this video. The young rock band "Harbor of Refuge" performed two songs. Then Ehrenreich and Gilliam interviewed Dennis via “modern technology”, as there was an “intermission” in Congress. Great hearing Dennis speak “in real time” … plus handle the questions with honesty and integrity. This man firmly stands by everything he believes in and doesn’t change his “spots” like Howard Dean. I greatly enjoyed the short, but dynamic evening and being with other like-minded individuals.

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Tidbit from recent article in THE NATION [11/24/03] by Alexander Cockburn called “Why We Still Need a Third Party”.

“Despite the best efforts of our doctrinal leaders, the moral sentiments of the people are not entirely corrupted. Consumers, for example, are prepared to pay a premium if they can be assured they are buying products not made in sweatshops. And third World countries need not survive only under the sweatshop conditions [‘tremendous good news’] praised by Krugman and his colleague at the TIMES, Nicholas Kristof. They have to be permitted to return to the somewhat protected conditions encouraged in the development policies of an earlier era, without agencies of the US government decreeing that their reformers and their union organizers be murdered by death squads. I’m sorry, but you won’t be hearing these ideas from Howard Dean.”

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[Note: Really good article by David Swanson called "Why I Quit My Job to Work for Dennis Kucinich". Check it out, if you wish:

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1124-13.htm

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[Note: Another brilliant, fascinating and important article by someone I respect and admire alot ... Bill Moyers. The article is called "Essay on the Media and Democracy" ... definitely check it out:

http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1125-15.htm

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