[Peace-discuss] Tim Johnson's office last Wednesday about
Iran
Karen Medina
kmedina at uiuc.edu
Fri Dec 14 17:08:41 CST 2007
Bob N and Barbara K, and Peace Discuss,
I counted 25 heads (see footnotes 1 and 2) at Tim Johnson's office asking him to critically think about the rhetoric about Iran.
The few people I heard speak made good points (Mort, Dave H., and Bob N. can better describe their points). Johnson's PR guy reminded us that Johnson was "against the surge" and "is an independent thinker". [But I will remind Rep. Johnson that he was a sucker for the rhetoric about Iraq, and this same rhetoric is being used right now -- so don't fall for it again.] The PR guy also mentioned that Rep. Johnson had constituents beyond Champaign-Urbana that may have different opinions.
At least 80% of the heads were grayhaired. Carol Inskeep may have been the youngest one there unless Bob Naiman is younger. Most were from CU, but 2 were from Danville and 1 from St. Joseph.
It was windy outside and crowded inside. The parking lot was fuller with us there, and of course it was gorgeous with loads of cool bumper stickers.
Attendees I recognized were: Bob Naiman, Carol Inskeep, Dave Harley, Doug, Joe Webber, Mort, Karen Medina [me], Bill Strutz, [did I see Paul Meuth there too?] and a few others. (see footnote 3).
At the Tim Johnson office event, we did mention the peace demonstration coming up on Sunday, 25 December 2007, on North Prospect for all the holiday shoppers to read our signs. Several people had not heard about it and mentioned that they might attend.
-karen medina
footnote 1: There were also at least 2 people who had cameras or I wasn't sure they were with the group, so there might have been more than 25.
footnote 2: I arrived late and 2 other people arrived after I got there. The group was already in Johnson's office, holding signs, and talking to the PR person. A microphone was being held by a person I could not see (WILL). I counted at least 1 other office person there (no coat on).
footnote 3: [The Tim Johnson's office event overlapped somewhat with the hearing about the Instant Runoff Voting not having enough signatures (2,000) though Mark Sheldon told Durl that they only needed 700. The hearing decided that it did not matter what Mark Shelden, the Champaign County Clerk, had said, but that 2,000 was required and we failed to come up with that many in the required time block].
---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:55:46 -0600
>From: "Robert Naiman" <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Re: [sf-core] Kinzer no war with Iran tour, possible C-U stop in Feb
>To: "Barbara kessel" <barkes at gmail.com>
>Cc: "Morton K. Brussel" <brussel at uiuc.edu>, Peace Discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>, SFcore <sf-core at yahoogroups.com>
>
> I believe that Karen Fresco told me that she counted
> 25 people. At least two were from outside C-U. WDWS
> sent a reporter, the News-Gazette sent a
> photographer, and Channel 15 sent a reporter later.
>
> Phil Bloomer assured us that Representative Johnson
> was opposed to military confrontation with Iran and
> that he would share our petitions and concerns with
> Tim. But he didn't commit the Rep. to any specific
> action (shocked, shocked.)
>
> Also, there was a similar event in Bloomington at
> the same time at Johnson's office there, which we
> noted in the meeting. There were some 300 events
> nationally, with more than 3000 people
> participating. There were 8 people at the event in
> Peoria, led by C-U alumna Lisa Offutt.
>
> On Dec 14, 2007 2:14 PM, Barbara kessel
> <barkes at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Very glad this is happening, Along with Mort, I
> hope that AWARE will
> help it happen, but of course, we will have to
> discuss it - starting
> at the AWARE meeting this Sunday the 16.
> I would think that Friday evening would be a
> better night generally
> than Sunday for getting a crowd of people.
> How did it go with the presentation of the
> petition to Tim Johnson's
> office yesterday? Barbara Kessel
> On 12/14/07, Jenifer Cartwright <
> jencart13 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Great idea. Several of us (peaceful types) are
> busy on Friday (contra
> > dance), so I vote for Sunday.
> > --Jenifer
> >
> > "Morton K. Brussel" < brussel at uiuc.edu> wrote:
> > What should enter in picking a date are
> conflicts (I see none now),
> > the availability of a suitable venue, and
> personal preferences.
> > Let's hear from folks (I've no preference at
> present).
> >
> > --mkb
> >
> > On Dec 13, 2007, at 4:49 PM, Robert Naiman
> wrote:
> >
> > > we would pretty quickly have to claim one of
> those two days, I think.
> > > does anyone have a strong preference?
> > >
> > >
> > > On Dec 13, 2007 4:01 PM, Morton K. Brussel
> wrote:
> > >> I feel fairly sure that AWARE folks would
> gladly help out.
> > >>
> > >> --mkb
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Dec 13, 2007, at 3:10 PM, Robert Naiman
> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Just Foreign Policy, together with Peace
> Action, National Iranian
> > >>> American Council, UFPJ, and other groups, is
> organizing a tour in
> > >>> February against attacking Iran and in favor
> of real diplomacy. The
> > >>> main speaker will be Stephen Kinzer, author
> of "All the Shah's Men,"
> > >>> about the U.S.-sponsored coup in Iran and
> the blowback from that.
> > >>> The
> > >>> book is being re-issued with a new forward,
> "The Folly of Attacking
> > >>> Iran."
> > >>>
> > >>> Here is the tour website, with the draft
> schedule:
> > >>> http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iran/
> > >>>
> > >>> As you can see from the draft schedule, he
> is expected in Peoria on
> > >>> Saturday, February 16 (organized by C-U
> alumna Lisa Offutt.)
> > >>>
> > >>> I think we could get Kinzer here on Friday
> the 15th or Sunday the
> > >>> 17th.
> > >>>
> > >>> Is this something folks would be interested
> in helping with? We
> > >>> would
> > >>> need to raise some money (e.g. through UIUC
> departments.)
> > >>>
> > >>> Kinzer is currently on the faculty at
> Northwestern, that might
> > >>> help on
> > >>> the UIUC front...
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>> --
> > >>> Robert Naiman
> > >>> Just Foreign Policy
> > >>> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Robert Naiman
> > > Just Foreign Policy
> > > www.justforeignpolicy.org
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> --
> Robert Naiman
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
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