On the Campaign Trail with the Peace and Freedom Party
By erica
snowlake
Last July the Venice chapter
of the Peace and Freedom Party opened a center in Venice at 1720 Main street,
across from the Post Office. A place for the public to meet the candidates, One
and All. A great enthusiasm reigned as the Center became an instant mecca for
the latest in political awareness, debate, and action. Anyone gracing these
doors for the potpourri of films, local music talent, and special events hosted
gathered communal enlightenment and hope for liberation from the current
political nightmare from a grass roots organization radiating compassion at
it’s core.
Peace and Freedom Venice are a wild and
lively bunch of pro-labor, free speechers, earth activists, and innovative
do-it-your-selfers. The three ambassadors I have come to know the best are
Yolanda Miranda, Karl Abrams,and James Smith. Coincidentally all three are
Beachhead Collective members as well. So they’re damn literary,
too!
Yolanda’s the
firebrand of the trio, leading an activist life from day one organizing farm
labor in the San Joaquin Valley, raising a family, and standing for
international women’s solidarity. She can be found singing campesino songs
at the center to cooking up a great chili, when not dancing like a
Cubano.
Karl Abrams is currently a
chemistry prof, former save-the-world with blue-green algae spokesman,
humanitarian with a heart sweet as cherry pie. He is running for State
Assembly.
Jim Smith stands out as the
Captain Kirk of the intrepid adventurers. A great respect for diversity,
equality, a visionary philosopher with a Venetian sense of humor, Jim’s
out there every Friday waving the rainbow Peace and Freedom flag with his
friends in the Windward Circle. He’s running for Congress and his
campaign’s taken off on an epic course of
events.......
Seems Jim, in doing his
homework, some online research about his competition, the not-so-very-well-liked
by her constituents, (from what I’ve heard handing out flyers), the
quasi-Democrat Jane Harman.
The-I-am-friends-with-George-Bush-though-I-am-doing-quite-a-bit-of-the-backwards-shuffle-distancing
my-self-from-Him-these-days Jane Harman, despite having voted for His War in
Iraq, the HomeInvasion Patriot Act, and being cozy onboard the ultra-secretive
Trilateral Commission. The same Jane who in a public debate two weeks ago
declared in her opening statement she will be “fighting the fight against
terror” as her Doomsday re-election promise. As the Bible says, folks,
right in the beginning, “Terror begat Terror begats More Terror,”
don’cha know.
We’ll get
back to that ill-fated debate, (for Jane), later, but let’s zoom in on our
hero Jim, wiling away hours on the Net looking for loopyholes in Jane’s
credibility. Jackpot! Not only does he find out she’s one of the
wealthiest members of Congress, being not only a millionaire, (which she
admits), but a billionaire to boot! (which she disguises). Seems one of
Jane’s hubby’s assets is Harman International, you remember those
speakers you paid an arm and a leg for in the eighties? Yeah?, and guess
where they’re made?
Yes, I was
glad to be part of that fact-finding Peace and Freedom delegation which crossed
into Tijuana September the 11th. I can verify it’s all true,
maquiadoras/prisons, no windows, workers paid $1.20 an hour, surrouding
shantytown in ruins, utter disregard for the water running through it, why? did
you think those multi-national corporations would kickback a little into the
communities they defile? Jane, if your assertion your workers are paid $9.50 an
hour were true, the line-ups from that sign at the gate soliciting 16- year-olds
would have extended to kingdom come. You know, wealthy people need to reality
check on how they came to be
so.....wealthy.
Well that was just the
first nail in Jane’s coffin Peace and Freedom discovered just by, uh,
caring.
Democracy can be so exciting
when it comes down to David versus Goliath proportions. Sure, Peace and Freedom
can play the game, but what they really want is a moratorium on development,
rent roll-backs, more affordable housing, and environmental responsibility. They
don’t need to tow a Party line, hand-out favors, or speak in vague
gibberish about terror to win the day. Peace and Freedom can just be real people
helping the world get fixed up, before our collective oil-addicted dogma eats
our karmas all up.
Back to the
campaign, we’re now at the League of Women’s Voters, (fine,
outstanding women, I might add), Candidates Debate in Torrance on October the
22nd. Guess what?---the Universe’s rooting for Jim! - the morning’s
newsbreaking toast adds more fuel to the fire. Seems Jane is now under
investigation involving leaking documents or trading them for American Israel
Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) intervention with House Minority Leader Nancy
Pelosi to save Jane’s ass on the Intelligence Committee. As Candidate Jim
merely stated the obvious, citing Jane to resign, more instances of extreme
denial ensued. Tune into the debate at www.votesmith forcongress.org. Warning:
denial is contagious!!! Zingers by the Libertarian Candidate and an ongoing
oxymoron by the Republican
abound.
It’s all tuning up
to be a great fight! If only people knew! If only Democrats were’nt always
making the excuse they’re afraid of throwing away their votes. If only
peeps followed their hearts. If only you had seen the latest film by Robert
Greenwald at the P&F Center called Iraq For Sale, and heard the true story
of the private contracting companies in Iraq. Listened to the confessions of a
professional interrogator, or the contractor for Halliburton hired to provide
clean water for the troops who quit after one week after discovering the wells
filled with malaria and typhoid strains, of course, par for the course for the
Iraqi people. Or heard David Rovics sing at the Center a Celtic bard’s
treasure trove of rallying warcries against Halliburton, SUV’s, and the
bones of the displaced Mexican farmers piling up at the border. Or, closer to
home, heard the Lincoln Place Contingency Band sing for the evictees one last
hopeful song. Or witnessed in the film How Cuba Survived Peak Oil 80% of
Cuba’s farmland is now organically viable. Compare that to our Heartland,
America.
Yeah, well, Peace and Freedom
for the People’s hard to come by these days, especially in a stagnant
two-party system. The true message of Democracy exists in the people, the
majority, I might add, who don’t even vote anymore. Peace and freedom only
needs you to show us the Way!!!! Just do one little thing for fun...vote
out Jane Harman, do it cuz’ you read it here, do it for .......Peace and
Freedom!
p.s. The Peace and Freedom
Center couldn’t exist without its awesome volunteers, none more dedicated
than our beloved 78-years young Jack Johncock, giant hugs and Thank-You’s
- You Rock! to all of them!!!
Posted: Wed - November 1, 2006 at 02:45 PM