Friday, March 24, 2006

Thousands Say That Rachel Corrie Did Not Die In Vain

Mar 24, 2006

The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.
- Dante, 14th Century
An uproar has ensued over the cancelling of the play My Name Is Rachel Corrie by the New York Theatre Workshop. It seems that discussion and examination of controvertial issues in the world of theater has been put on hold while McCarthyism raises its ugly head once again.


Rachel, dressed in dayglo orange with megaphone in hand, saying NO to a Caterpillar bulldozer in Rafah, a town in Gaza.

As has happened so many times in our country's history, ugly wars lead to increasing protests which, in turn, lead to ugly repression from a government that cannot tolerate opposition to its inhumane policies: a terrible war justified with lies, warrantless wiretaps, unprovoked arrests and detentions of Arab residents and citizens, the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo infernos, loathsome smear attacks on Senators who demand accountability -- and now it seems, once-brave theater companies pitifully back-pedaling and caving in to the atmosphere of intimidation that is being fostered in our country today.


Rachel Corrie - a beautiful young woman who stood up for justice and solidarity with her fellow human beings.

This past Wednesday night at Manhattan's
Riverside Church thousands of New Yorkers rejected the repression and said NO to the silence. The came together to reaffirm democracy and to hear the eloquent words of a beautiful, brave young woman, Rachel Corrie. Her 23-year old life was cut short by the treads and tonnage of an American-made Caterpillar bulldozer. These machines have been used by Israel to immorally demolish 8,000 Palestinain homes in Gaza and the West Bank and to uproot over 200,000 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmers. Rachel was trying to stop one such house demolition when she was mercilessly run over by a bulldozer operated by an Israeli soldier. A solitary young woman, armed only with her belief in justice, standing up to an enormous and powerful machine - the image sears the imagination and the conscience. What is more beautiful and more noble than a young girl, filled with feelings of solidarity and sympathy for her fellow human beings, saying no to the violence used to enforce Israel's brutal occupation?

Examined from that perspective, the cowardly and obsequious accommodation of the New York Theatre Workshop to the new McCarthyism is all the more shameful. The dark forces that are running our country do not want Americans to hear Rachel's words for if they were allowed to be spoken openly and clearly they would ring forth with truth and justice and would rally indignation in millions to oppose the war in Iraq and its exemplar - the Israeli occupation in Palestine.

The evening at Riverside Church was a magnificent and uplifting event that kept the audience spellbound despite the three hour length of the program. Interspersed with music and poetry, actors, writers, artists and activists offered their thoughts and read from Rachel's letters and writings. Those who couldn't attend offered testimony via video - there were statements by poet Maya Angelou, singer Patti Smith, actor Kathleen Chalfant and playwright Eve Ensler, among many others.

The evening ended with a poignant video of Rachel as a 10-year old delivering a speech at school against pervasive hunger among the world's peoples. Here was the future young woman with her fervent commitment to justice seen in the earnest pronouncements of a sweet, little girl. Rachel may have been murdered by a bulldozer. But her life, her beauty, and her commitment to high moral principle and decency will live on and inspire others for years and years to come.

A sampling of my photos follows.

To see all my photos just click here.
To see a slide show of my photos click here


The church was overflowing with New Yorkers who rejected the notion of keeping silent when decency demands that you speak up.


Anne Petter, Tom Wallace and Jen Marlowe organized the amazing event in a very short time.


James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institue and Amy Goodman, anchor of Democracy Now!, the award-winning and uncensored news program.


Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidary Movement (ISM). Rachel was working with ISM when she was killed by the Israeli bulldozer.


Betty Shamieh, Palestinian playwright and author of the Off-Broadway hit "Roar", reads from Rachel's emails home.


Suheir Hammad, a gifted young poet, reads a poem dedicated to Rachel which brought people to their feet.


Craig and Cindy Corrie, Rachel's mom and dad, listen to her words read aloud.


To see all my photos just click here.
To see a slide show of my photos click here .

Thursday, March 16, 2006

What You Doing This Sunday?

Mar 16, 2006

Been riding my bike around Fort Greene with my friend Sam. Been pasting up flyers and asking storekeepers in the neighborhood to post flyers in their window. This, in prepration for this Sunday's meeting at a local church. Sponsored by
Brooklyn Parents For Peace, Black Veterans For Justice and the office of Congressman Major Owens, the meeting will allow local residents to hear first-hand testimony from NYC veterans who have returned from Iraq.

They've returned to face nightmarish conditions: unemployment, homelessness, health problems and, most outrageous of all, cutbacks to veterans services. Sent by the President to fight his war, they fulfilled their obligations only to find themselves ignored or abandoned by the President, Congress and the Media.

The organizations sponsoring Sunday's meeting decided to bring these serious issues to the community. Wanting to penetrate the curtain of silence that surrounds the problems of returning soldiers, the meeting will feature opening remarks by Congressman Owens, who has opposed the war from day one because it has robbed funds from services for his constituents and devastated the communties he represents. Also speaking will be Job Mahariki, the founder of Black Veterans For Social Justice. This group serves returning soldiers as they try to re-integrate into society. They provide job counselling, guidance and help finding services that the veterans so desperately need.

The high point of the afternoon will be testimony from returned soldiers who will relate their stories to the assembly so that people can hear, first hand, some of the severe problems they have to confront.

If you're in Brooklyn or nearby, this is sure to be an interesting and informative several hours that you shouldn't miss.


Fort Greene has been plastered with notices for Sunday's meeting.


A closeup of the flyer for Sunday's meeting.

BACK FROM IRAQ

NYC VETS SPEAK OUT


SUNDAY, MARCH 19th, 2pm

at the LAFAYETTE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

(corner of South Oxford Street and Lafayette Avenue - Fort Greene, Brooklyn)

Don't miss it!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Love Is Blind


Love is blind - or maybe it just can't read.

Newkirk Avenue station - Q train.
March 1, 2006.