Personal PHOTOS and NARRATIVE of UFPJ anti-war march NYC, March 20, 2004

[jsmacdonald]

Dear friends,

Well, here are the captioned photos and long introspective narrative that I always write. I really would appreciate comments and your input. I know it's a long read and is never written with mass consumption in mind, but I put a lot of time and love into it. In fact, I wish I could write more and relate all the many ways the people on the trip touched me. I especially want to mention my friends in the DC Anti-War Network, particularly Kevin, Eileen, Karen, Ryan, and Andy, who don't nearly get enough ink for me to express their influence over my day. Kevin and Eileen marched with us most of the day, and we had many very interesting conversations. Karen did an excellent job as a bus captain and allowed me to relax after so many nearly sleepless nights preparing for our trip. Ryan not only basically made this whole trip possible through all his work, but also I feel closer to him as a result of the process. Finally, I neglected to mention the great conversation that Andy and I had on the way back, which was not at all a trivial part of my day.

The trip was a resounding success. Here is my story.

You can find everything you need at http://www.yellowstonemagic.com/peace

Here is an excerpt of the narrative entitled "Short Memory":

***excerpt***
With the weight of these tragedies in mind, I joined the anti-war movement in January 2003 during a time when many of us hoped to stop a war in Iraq from happening. Specifically, I joined the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) in order to buy a bus ticket to New York for the February 15 protests aimed at preventing the invasion of Iraq. That day, I rode to New York, marched with more than 500,000 people in the streets of Manhattan and with tens of millions worldwide, and then rode back. Since then, I have increasingly worked with DAWN and the anti-war movement to stop wars and to promote social justice. In October 2002, I protested war by myself. By, February 2003, I was riding buses with other anti-war activists. Now, in March 2004, I played a significant role in organizing other activists to converge on New York in hopes of stopping the disastrous war in Iraq.

Here you will find my report of the United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) rally and march in New York City on March 20, 2004 to commemorate the one year anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. It is also a report of DAWN's bus trip to and from this important mobilization. What's more, it is an introspective look at the peace movement seen through the prism of my life and my own impressions of this day. In so many respects, our memories are far too short, but they are becoming longer by the hour.

On March 20, DAWN organized two buses of activists to New York to protest the war in Iraq. I was the bus sales coordinator for the trip and played a very important organizational role in getting us there. A year ago, when we sent 5 buses to New York, I did not believe it was possible that I could ever take on such an enormous task. Like the weight of the task before us as activists, I believe we have much more potential to effect the sorts of changes we believe are necessary than we might believe is possible now. I am happy to report that our trip to New York was a resounding success and should serve as a means of helping to advance the global cause of peace.

For the past month, a significant part of my life was consumed with ticket sales for New York. It would not serve the purpose of my narrative much to go into most of those details. Nevertheless, I shall point out what I take to be the most significant part of the experience. As I worked hard on this task, I grew closer to several of those I worked with on this project. They, in turn, grew closer to others working on behalf of the movement. Whether it was the relationships I developed with Andy Laken or Ryan Barolet-Fogarty, or whether it was the working relationship we developed with groups like the DC Guerrilla Poets Insurgency and Black Voices for Peace, I felt validated by the hard work of grassroots activism. Activism does not merely produce superficial business connections. Rather, it also produces bona fide friendships, the strength and number of which serve as the greatest check against warfare that I can imagine. There is no greater way to reduce the number of our enemies than to increase the quantity and quality of our friendships.

In short, if you are not currently an activist, I believe that you are missing a profound piece of the puzzle. However you define that activism and however you decide to pursue it, the process of devoted activism has its own reward.
***excerpt***

Jim

[Karenina]

1. Good work!

:kick:

[jsmacdonald]

4. Thanks

I always appreciate the comments I get here.

Jim

[tobius]

2. anti-war rallies bring out some characters.

[jsmacdonald]

3. DAWN bus rider one of the 4 arrested in New York!

Daniel Meltzer, a rider on the DC Anti-War Network bus rider to the New York anti-war protests reports that he was one of the 4 people police arrested on Saturday, March 20, and faces charges for disorderly conduct. Details from Daniel are just coming to our attention. Saturday, Meltzer missed his return ride on the DAWN bus. Bus captains had information that he was considering not coming back on the bus. So, when he missed his deadline to return, bus captains assumed he stayed behind.

Here is Daniel's email that I received just minutes ago:

Hey Jim:

Sorry I didn't make it to the return trip on the bus. I was jumped by the
cops during the march and jailed. I was one of four people arrested, none
of whom had done anything more than march like everyone else, and none of
whom were charged with anything more than "loitering," with a "resisting
arrest. After 27 hours in jail, they released me, but I'll have to come
back to court to get all of my charges resolved.

Daniel
***