[Peace-discuss] be a progressive mole this weekend!

[Stuart Levy]

The Obama campaign is organizing nationwide household meetings this weekend,
Dec. 13th and 14th.   Medea Benjamin, in an interview last Friday 12/5,

    http://www.democracynow.org/2008/12/5/ralph_nader_and_medea_benjamin_on

and when asked what she planned to do next, opened with this:

    MEDEA BENJAMIN: We feel like this is the moment for us as organizers.
    Yesterday, there were 2,000 organizers that were brought into Washington, D.C.,
    many of them coming from the community organization where Barack Obama was
    trained in Chicago, talking about how we have to be there to push this
    administration forward. Groups are planning, January, February, bringing
    thousands of people to Washington, and also to be a part of this ten million
    email list that has been created. 

    In fact, today they sent out a message from Barack Obama’s people saying we
    want you to organize house parties December 13th and 14th to give us your
    ideas, and it’s called “Change Is Coming.” We tell progressives go to those
    meetings, whether you voted for Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney or Barack Obama.
    Go to those meetings and be part of this community that’s going to have the ear
    of this new administration. You can go to

	http://my.barackobama.com/changeiscoming/

    find out where the events are, create ones in your own community, and, you
    know, essentially, have progressives infiltrate this vast network of organizers. 

Sounds like a good idea.  One Urbana person whose name I don't recognize
has already posted an event for this Sunday 4-6pm with a long and detailed,
but a bit confusing, discussion of what the host thinks needs to be done.
It talks about promoting a civilized relationship between liberals of conservatives,
the creation of a Political Magna Carta ("Charta"), and lots of other things.

(Other, more conventional-sounding events are in Danville, Decatur, Bloomington,
Kankakee, Springfield, etc.)

Anyway, one might go there and see what's up --
or be a host for your own event and see who decides to attend!


Benjamin also mentioned a Peace Ball to be held in DC at inauguration time.
Holding protest signs at inauguration doesn't appeal to me, but I do like the sound
of a Peace Ball.  There are more ways than one to say Yes Our Opinions Do Matter.

   Stuart