two feet in.

The Golden Gate Bridge Turns Pink

This is an image from a vigil that Bay Area Code Pink tried to hold on the Golden Gate Bridge, New Year's Day.  A group began at the south end of the bridge, and another from the north end, in what was to be a silent, single file walk marking the death of the 3000th American soldier, and the 500,000+++ Iraqi civilian.    There has been a fair amount of media coverage, at least here in the Bay Area, of what happened to the group that began on the south, San Francisco, side.  You can read about it here, and more eloquently, here.  Or, as they say, a picture tells a thousand words:

I was part of the group that began from the north, with my three year old son along for the ride in his stroller.  If you look at the top image, we would have been walking right behind the woman with the peace sign on her chest.  However, when it appeared that arrests were likely happening further on, I decided to turn back.  No telling what CHP would do with an irate, raucous three-year old, clad in hot-pink. 

Here's an account of the vigil that I wrote yesterday:

My son and I arrived at the north end of the bridge, and walked with that group.  There were about 20 of us and we walked single file, and silently, onto the bridge -- no banners or signs, only our bright pink clothing and fingers held up in peace signs. Moments after getting onto the bridge, the group was stopped by an officer who told us to vacate immediately or we'd be arrested.  The leader of the line, Toby, talked with him, and it seemed that his principle accusation was that we were wearing pink, and that Toby was solemnly beating a small hand-drum as we walked.  She said that she would stop the drum, and we continued on, soon again with drum accompaniment. 

Most pedestrians seemed supportive or at least interested in what we were doing, although there were several jeers ("Go Bush!" and "Grow up and get a job.") Several passersby stopped to tell us that our sisters and brothers on the other end of the bridge had not gotten through, but we continued on.  Many, many passing cars honked their support.

When we arrived at the center of the bridge, we stopped momentarily when we say several officers approaching from the south end of the bridge on bikes.  It was then that we also noticed that we were basically the only pedestrians on the bridge, save for a few stragglers here and there.  Yes, we were deemed so dangerous that they closed the bridge to all pedestrians. 

We asked one police officer what was happening with our group at the south end, and he sarcastically and condescendingly said something like we "would find out soon enough." At this point, I decided to turn back since I had my three year old in a stroller, but had I been on my own I would have proudly continued across the bridge with the rest of the group.

When we arrived back at the north end, I spoke with several waiting pedestrians, and at least these few seemed more outraged at the police than at "the peace protesters."  Especially so when they heard that we'd been walking silently and single file, as this is not what they'd been told by the officers closing the bridge.

The south end Code Pinkers were arrested for trespassing.  On public property.  For trying to walk across the bridge in silence.  This is our democracy in action.

UPDATE:  So, it turns out I was wrong -- the Golden Gate bridge is "privately owned".  Do we have Homeland Security to thank for this?

Is It For Freedom?

The end of the semester has nearly done me in this year, and I'm not finished yet.  Teaching is over, but now there's all the student projects to read and comment on -- however this work lies more toward the "full" end of the busy - rich/full continuum, and it's nice to have the teaching pressure off for the moment.   

I've also been working on another project that has kept me from writing here.  I created a couple of digital movies for Code Pink, highlighting in images many of the group's anti-war actions from the past year.  You can watch one of them below (though beware that Google Video streaming has been annoyingly jumpy):

Making these was an incredible experience -- sifting through hundreds of images of courageous and righteous people putting themselves on the line for peace and justice helped to re-inspire myself towards the work that we must all continue, and continue, and continue...

In that spirit, I'm back to working more at the rich/full end of things, and will be writing here much more regularly.  Please return.

Which War?

The Code Pink Troops Home Fast moved into Oakland, California today with a rally and press conference in front of the Federal Building:

The woman with the microphone is Jane Jackson, a veteran human rights and disability activist.  She has already been fasting for fifteen days, and plans to vigil in Oakland indefinitely:

Human rights activist and Oakland Resident Jane who has engaged in numerous hunger strikes, says she will not set an end date to her fast. “My goal is to bring the troops home. I don’t know how long I can fast, but I’m making this open-ended,” she says. “I plan to take this as far as I’ve ever taken anything in my 72 years. I fear our future is at stake, and I’m ready to make a major sacrifice.”

I was present for the kick-off ceremony today, handing out leaflets and talking to people.  At one point I offered a flier to a young woman wearing a hijab.  She took note of the TV cameras, the gathered people, the signs saying Fasting for Peace and asked, "Which war?" 

She went on to ask again, Which war were we protesting?  The "new ones" (Gaza, Lebanon) or Iraq?  I only managed to say that the Troops Home Fast is focused on ending the war in Iraq, before she turned to leave with a saddened "Too bad."

I wanted to call her back, because I wanted to speak with her from my heart instead of my head.  I wanted to say that I, at least, was there as an affirmation of our common humanity, that these wars of aggression and the atrocities that ensue are all fundamentally related -- that Jane Jackson and others are not just fasting for peace, we are hungry for peace.  For everyone.

Writing About Troops Home Fast

Believe it or not, I do write about other topics than the Troops Home Fast on this blog!  While I will continue to write about this, I'll also be getting back to some of that in the next several days. 

I'm going to leave this post on the top of the page for awhile as a guide to people visiting Two Feet In wanting to read and/or interact about the fast.  You can find my previous writing about the fast here, here, here, here, and here. 

If You are Depressed, Then Do Something About It

I broke my fast today, a week after beginning.  It was strange eating solid food after only water, diluted juice, and herbal tea for the past week -- everything tasted odd for awhile, but my taste-buds seem to have recovered pretty quickly.

I broke my fast today, but not my commitment to the Troops Home Fast action, to the Declaration of Peace, and to writing and speaking out, to taking action towards global unity.  I am going to continue fasting one day a week at least until September 21, if not longer. 

Over the past week I've worn a button about the fast, and it was pretty obvious to most people that I wasn't eating (especially at the 4th of July barbecue, the preschool potluck that I attended with my kids, and the picnic on the beach).  It was interesting, the most common reaction I got (after "good for you") was something along the lines of:  "Since you are fasting, you must really be thinking about the war a lot."  Each of the people that brought this up went on to express (with some mixture of what seems like admiration and concern) that it must be hard to, you know, think about all of the terrible things that are happening in Iraq during the times when I would be eating my meals (as if I don't do that often anyway) --"it must really be depressing."

Truthfully though, I think that these were some of the best interactions I had around the fact that I was/will be fasting for peace.  One man came out and admitted to me that he never follows the news anymore because it all makes him too depressed.  We were able to engage with each other about these feelings of depression and powerlessness, and how we can each work to overcome them by doing something about the injustices we hear about daily, by taking action alongside other committed people.  I don't think he's about to be transformed into a revolutionary, but I hope he left our interaction, as I did, slightly changed for the better.

Creating Connection

Two Feet In has been getting many new visitors and email messages in the past few days, both from the piece that I wrote about why I am fasting, and from the Code Pink site.   I'm assuming that those who have followed the links here have some kind of interest in the fasting action -- you're either participating yourself, you've wanted to express solidarity, you've wanted to find out more, or in a very few cases, you've wanted to disagree. 

One of the hate emails that I received, after telling me "maybe with luck you and the rest of the fasters will wither away to dust.  Please see if you can get Kerry, Murtha, and Keller to join you." (nice, huh?) went on to say that perhaps I was just "bored and looking for attention" by doing this and writing about it.  Bored?  No.  Looking for attention?  Yes -- I'm looking to widen attention to our role in needless death and destruction (and to end both of those), and to our humanity that we share with all on this planet.

I'm quite interested in some of the stories that might be out there. Who are you and where are you?  Are you fasting, why, and what has your experience been?  If you are not fasting, why?  What kinds of actions are happening in your community?  For example, Suzanne from Valdez, Alaska, left a note in the Comments section saying, "i fast til they bring them home.  i juice fast. i'm alone here in valdez doing this. but many are asking why...it gets the subject back in sight."   Many of us may be alone in this, but we should not have to feel alone.  Please share your thoughts either in the comment section, or send them to me.   

I may only fast for a week, and that act in and of itself is pretty insignificant in the big picture -- though for me it is not, and nor is it insignificant for most of the people I've heard from who might be only fasting for a day, or not at all.  These actions are significant because they change us, and perhaps through connecting in some form we can begin to imagine how to carry that change forward.

Camp DiFi

Bay Area Code Pink launched our own fast today, in front of Dianne Feinstein's new mansion in Pacific Heights.  Although her home-to-be is still under renovation, Dianne was gracious enough to attend the housewarming party.  Here she is!---

Note the police presence guarding the mega-sized shroud covered building in the background.  That's her house.  And, yes, that's Gandhi.

This was a press conference and rally to kick-off the fast in the bay area, though many people there had begun the day before.  Here is CP's aim in targeting Feinstein:

Senator Diane Feinstein recently voted against John Kerry’s amendment calling for the troops to come home. Let’s make sure she doesn’t disappoint her constituents again. Gather with us, as we encourage her to co-sponsor the Harkin bill (S. CON. RES 93) – no permanent military presence or military bases in Iraq; no attempt to control the flow of Iraqi oil; and Armed Forces should be redeployed from Iraq as soon as practicable after the completion of Iraq's constitution-making process or December 31, 2006 - which ever comes first.

There was not a large turnout, but those who attended were energized and hopeful.  As Patricia Ellsberg (Daniel Ellsberg's wife) said, there may only be 3000 people fasting now -- but that is a spark that can spread...  30,000, 300,000, 3 million...

I brought my (nearly) five year old daughter Rosie with me.  She's very curious about the fast and why I'm doing it, and so we've been talking a lot about peace over the past few days.  At one point in the evening, she got restless and asked, "Mama, when is something going to happen?"

I replied, "Something is already happening just because you're here."  I actually said that just because she was being witty and entertaining and making the passing of time before the start of the rally go more quickly, but a man standing next to me overheard and said -- "You don't know how true that is Rosie."  Let's hope so.

Continuing the Fast

My goal is to fast for a week, unless life's duties get the better of me.  I started on the evening of the 3rd and plan to end on the 10th -- which also happens to be my 40th birthday! 

It might be considered cheating, but I will be drinking some juice, and herbal teas, as I've got to keep up energy for taking care of young kids, going to my job, and talking to people about what I am doing and why. 

I'll post updates over the course of the week, so please return!

Fasting on the 4th of July

Yesterday, when I told a friend that I would be fasting on July 4th, he looked at me and asked. “Why?” 

While I wanted to spill out all of my various personal and political reasons for choosing to engage in a fast, I found that I was unable to respond with anything more than a brief explanation that I was doing it in solidarity with the Code Pink “Troops Home” Fast, that I am anti-war and anti-torture, that I would be fasting for peace.  And, all of that is true. 

However, I have no illusions that my fasting, more or less on my own, in the progressive mecca of Berkeley, California, is going to end war or bring troops home.  I am not fasting with any hope of bringing about a change of heart or mind on the part of Bush, Cheney, or any of their posse of neocon war-makers.  For, indeed, I am not fasting for them.

In 1924 Mahatma Gandhi wrote the following in a letter to George Joseph:  “I fasted to reform those who loved me. But I will not fast to reform, say, General Dyer who not only does not love me, but who regards himself as my enemy. Am I quite clear?”

In an interview that same year Gandhi explained: 

“Fasting as a weapon can only be used against a lover, a friend, a follower or co-worker who, on account of his love for you and the sufferings you undergo actually, realize his mistake and corrects himself. He purifies himself of an evil that he knows and acknowledges being an evil. You recall him from his evil ways to the correct path.”

It is a privilege to fast, to choose to intentionally go without solid food, and it is an act that I undertake in my own struggle to understand my privilege and role in the suffering, the involuntary fasts, the death and destruction that the maintenance of our privilege inflicts upon so many others in this world that we share.  I am fasting first and foremost to reform myself, and ultimately, our society.   For, in our collective silence, our tacit acceptance of war and occupation, we perpetuate and legitimate the evil that our country’s imperialistic endeavors bring the world over.  I am fasting to acknowledge our common humanity rather than our separation, for in all of our inaction, we only strengthen the walls that divide. 

Imagine if each of us who claim to be against war and occupation, against oppression, against torture, did something daily -- if we engaged in one action every day to heal our world.  Imagine if we all did that today, tomorrow, and onward without fail.  One action by everyone, every day.  I truly believe that change could happen.  But, we don’t.  I know that I don’t.

I begin my fast on the day that we celebrate our country’s independence from domination by a foreign power -- as a statement of my own commitment to walk a more active path, as a way to open dialogue within my community about the paths that we all can take to end the occupation of Iraq, the injustice in Palestine supported by US military aide, as well as the deep inequities that mark our own divided society.  Let us together be reformed as we begin to truly take action towards peace and justice globally, as we tear down the walls of hatred and greed that separate us from our common heart.  Then, we’ll really have something to celebrate.