A Day That Will Go Down In History

Nov 4, 2008

Election Day, 2008. This will be one to remember. The day we turned our country around and saved our world. I really believe that. Don't get me wrong. I don't believe that Barack Obama is our saviour. No I don't. He's a great candidate but he's not perfect and I never believed that he was. For example, it's a little frightening that he wants to leave Iraq (Yes!) only to step up the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan (No! - yet another quagmire in the making and how the hell you gonna save the economy, give our people health care and decent schools, invest in alternative forms of energy -- all that while you're waging a new war in Afghanistan?? Get real!) And his health care plan, while far better than McCain's (if McCain actually has one)doesn't go nearly far enough - truth be told we need Single Payer Health Care like most of the rest of the industrialized world.

No, Obama, as good as he is and as progressive as most of his program is, is not a saviour. But here's what is true about a vote for Obama -- It's the people stupid! That's right - it's the fabulous and unprecedented movement of our people - Black, brown, white and united - that has surrounded and propelled his campaign - Therein is the promise of great things to come.

The fight will begin tomorrow because the Right, defeated and disgraced, is not going away any time soon. You can rest assured that they will be doing their dirty best (as only they know how) to demean Barack Obama for the next four years; to lay down as many obstacles as they can possibly find; to bring phony charges against him (as they did to Bill Clinton for years) to the extent that they can. But I believe that the movement of people that has been born in this historic campaign can be the bulwark of opposition to that mean-spirited force and push our country in the direction that it must go if we are all to survive and prosper in the years ahead.

So here's what we must do - We must find our voices. We must organize. We must let the Democrats, newly-empowered, know what we want. And we must not relax until we win what is needed to set our country on a new course of progress.

~~~

We awoke at 6 a.m. this morning, dressed and walked outside. Already we knew something was up. People were streaming down our usually quiet street. When we arrived at P.S. 9, two blocks away, the line was enormous. It stretched from the school entrance on Underhill Avenue, half a block south to the corner of St. Marks Place and then half-way down St. Marks. Wow!

It took us just over an hour to vote! A word to the wise: know your Assembly District and Election District before you get on line- you'll save yourself some time inside by not having to have a poll worker look it up for you via your address. Our neighborhood had one of the highest concentrations of Obama voters in the primary so it was no surprise. But the excitement, the determination of voters, the energy were all palpable standing on that line. I suspect that this will be duplicated throughout the country even in so-called Red states. That is why I can optimistically write this post today, before any results are in. I know that we are on the cusp of great and exciting times over the next four years.

Go Obama! We will be the wind behind your back. We will push you on to greatness if you listen to our voices for change!

P.S. One last thing - if you're a NY State voter - you can make your Obama vote even more meaningful by pulling the lever on ROW E - the Working Families party. This serves notice that your vote should not be taken for granted and that it's a vote for an end to the war and against any new wars. It's a vote that says you expect and demand a change in priorities away from war spending to spending for jobs, schools, health care and affordable housing and that you want a bailout not for the greedy banks and stock firms but for working folk. Voting on Row E, thus, stands out from all the other votes for Obama yet still goes into the same total count for your candidate! Thanks - Matt

It took us an hour to vote. The line stretched around P.S. 9 on Underhill Avenue around the corner of St. Mark's Place and way down the block. Unprecedented. It was 6:30 a.m.

Parents brought their children along to share in the history of today's vote.

Swinging on the scaffolding while daddy waited on long lines to vote.

Occupying your time while waiting on line to vote.

Yes! Omigod- even the NY Post! Wassup with that?

A Day In Philly - Working For Change

November 1, 2008

As this historic election loomed closer it became clear that every last vote would count. The Republicans, master of filthy tricks (dirty is too clean a word), would spare nothing and have spared nothing in trying to hold on to power for another four years. I flip-flop (pardon the expression) between elation and depression. One minute I believe that there'll be a landslide - that the polls, showing Barack Obama to be somewhat ahead are wrong. They're surely not counting all the kids with cellphones (you can't poll an unlisted number, right?) who are out there and going to vote. And, I reason, there's deep, deep disappointment and anger in the land that the pollsters are not reading and that this will volcanically erupt on Tuesday in an outpouring of determination to change the country's direction. Halevai!

The next minute anxiety sets in - Fox network and the GOP have so poisoned the atmosphere that people are confused. So confused that too many of them will be fearful of voting for Obama The Unknown and will elect McSame - proving, once again, that you can fool enough people over and over again, actually convincing them to vote against their very own self interests. Not to mention the Republicans' well-known techniques of voter suppression of which they are masters.

A visit to a swing state like Pennsylvania to volunteer for the Obama campaign was meant to elevate the positive side of my outlook. And it did! Seeing the number of volunteers (in person) involved in this historic campaign is exhilarating. Young people have been fired up by the millions. We saw this not only in the volunteers who are predominantly young but in our visits to houses where, time and again, older people might answer the door but would reference their support for Obama to the influence of their children or grandchildren.

One woman who I engaged in discussion, confused by the claims of McCain that Obama would increase her taxes, asked me if I believed what Obama was saying. I told her I wouldn't have driven down from New York to spend my Saturday in a Philadelphia suburb if I thought that he was an impostor. To which she shouted inwards to some interior room behind her - "Christine, who should I vote for?" "Obama!" came the reply from a youthful and exuberant voice. "That's my daughter. She wants me to vote for Obama and I probably will." This theme repeated itself in several of the houses I visited. Young people, I believe, are the vanguard of huge change that's coming to our country. Not imbued with the racism and cynicism of many of their oldsters they look at Obama and see a positive symbol of change, honesty and compassion. When they look at his McCain/Palin they feel they're looking at the past. A past based on anger, division, distortion and selfishness. That bodes well for our country's future and, likewise, our world.

We arrived at the Obama campaign office to find crowds of people signing up for the day's work. This was just one of many offices in and around Philadelphia and throughout the state.

This campaign worker had the presidential race all buttoned up.


Checking out the campaign packets before training.

Mark Dowd, the regional coordinator, trained us. He gave us instructions for the work we'd be doing for the rest of the day.

One of many New Yorkers who came down to Northeast Philadelphia for the Saturday before Election Day.

We came to Philadelphia on the urging of my friend Diane who had been there several times before and who has been working the phone banks up in New York as well. We drove down in two cars, leaving New York around 7:00 a.m. After training by a campaign worker, we drove to our assigned neighborhood and, following the lists supplied in our packet, knocked on the doors of identified Obama supporters. The idea at this late date was to get out the vote on the coming Tuesday. Many people were not home on a Saturday morning - out, I suppose, doing their family chores of shopping and schlepping. But those we did speak to were friendly and receptive. Most stated their intention to vote for Obama. Some wanted their privacy and didn't want to share their choice with strangers at their door. One heavily tattooed man, working on his car in his garage, told me he had had it with Bush and would never vote Republican again. It was an exciting day of meeting different folk with whom we normally do not rub elbows. That was an education indeed and one I highly recommend.

Lunch was at one o'clock at a neighborhood institution, the Mayfair Diner. Just why it was an institution we couldn't really figure out. The food was mediocre (although very inexpensive). But right across Frankford Avenue was a Philadelphia pretzel factory (the city is famous for its soft, twisted pretzels which one slathers with spicy mustard - a non-nutritious but very enjoyable treat). We had several for dessert.

In the afternoon, we headed out again. In the morning, if no one was home, the canvasser would check off "1st pass." So the afternoon campaigners would hit those addresses again for a second attempt at talking to someone at that address. We were impressed at the very high level of organization in evidence. Sometimes, it seemed, they were over-organized. The morning's route had us covering the same addresses as a team of AFT/UFT (the teachers union) campaigners who we met on our streets. But the feeling of camaraderie and good cheer was high as we exchanged chit-chat with the teachers, gathering on the lovely tree-lined streets of our assigned neighborhood.

Jane and Stacey knocking on doors. Our job today was to visit known Obama supporters to guarantee they vote on the coming Tuesday.

The campaign office was located in the Mayfair neighborhood of NE Philly. This famous old diner took the name of the neighborhood. Famous it was, but great, um, not.

Our friend Jane perusing the lunch menu at the Mayfair Diner.

Across from the diner was a pretzel outlet. We had some of those great Philadelphia pretzels, topped with spicy brown mustard. Yum!

Pretzels for dessert after a disappointing lunch at the Mayfair Diner.

After a day's work of knocking on doors in Northeast Philly, we returned to the office with our clipboards and lists. These young people were hanging out on the sidewalk shmoozing.

Driving back to New York through the Holland tunnel.

We headed back to New York Saturday night, tired but excited by the days' work. We were looking forward to dancing in the streets on Tuesday night (keeping our fingers crossed and having faith in the American people to do the right thing). We'd been boosted in our belief that next Tuesday was momentous and would be seen as one of the most important dates in our country's history. Halevai!

A Bike Ride To The Battery - Courtesy Of IKEA.

Sep 2, 2008

A new park has risen in Brooklyn. But unlike the old days when parks were the creations of cities and governments on behalf of their citizens, this park comes to our borough on the back of private enterprise. Ikea, the giant furniture chain, has come to Brooklyn and put itself down on the edge of the harbor. Ikea has placed its enormous blue and yellow box on land that once fronted the largest man-made harbor in the country, the Erie Basin. Since the demise of the historic and once-bustling Brooklyn waterfront, that land and the piers and structures that lined its shores entered a long period of decay. Abandoned by the ships that once carried grain and product from American farms and factories to the markets of Europe and beyond, the Brooklyn waterfront became a decrepit and crumbling shoreline, devoid of activity. Hulking wrecks of piers and warehouses have, for decades now, lined its once-proud shores. Neighborhoods died as well, inhabited only by the poorest of the poor.

Now Brooklyn is undergoing a massive renaissance as vast swathes of its territory are transformed (perhapds "demolished" is a more accurate term) and replaced with luxury condos and hi-rise apartment houses for upper income folk. Manhattan has beoam the borough for the very wealthy set and so waves of people have moved across the river to more "affordable" locales. And the developers saw dollars to be made. Thus does Ikea come to down-and-out-for-decades Red Hook.

It's a commentary on 30 tragic years of conservative rule that new parks today have to be given to us by corporations (as a payback of sorts for very generous tax breaks from City Hall). But with three trillion dollar wars, cities don't have money for such things as waterfront parks (or schools or public hospitals for that matter) as tax dollars have taken a one-way trip to the Pentagon and war-profiting corporations. A recent article in the New York Times documented that fact. In a portrait of New Haven, the reporter showed that many localities now depend on wealthy corporations to undertake major improvements to their cities. In New Haven it's Yale. In New York it's Ikea. But the trend is clear and it's called privatization. The question is - who's calling the tune and deciding what gets built and where? When its corporate money you can be sure that there are interests beyond those of the public that hold sway. So it is with waterfront parks and so it is with un-needed stadiums and sun-blocking high rises in the backyard of beautful and historic brownstone communities.

However, a beautiful park it is. Ikea has done a great job - a pedestrian/bike path wanders about a mile or so along the Red Hook waterfront. Signs explain the history of this once-busy port as a massive parking lot now lies where once giant shipyards stood. Here and there they have left standing some of the detritus of a former civilization - giant cranes hover overhead, painted a dull but dramatic navy gray; giant gears and mechanisms from some sort of portside machinery lie frozen in time below them. Maritime grasses and lovely flowers have been planted in abundance and in Ikea's spare and modern style, benches and chairs are placed along the length of the promenade. The view - a fabulous panorama of New York harbor - Governor's Island, the distant Port of Newark (that helped kill the Brooklyn ports), the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline all compete for your attention. And by the way, this has to be the greatest sunset viewing location in all of Brooklyn!

And the fantatic kicker to all this is that you can bike out to Red Hook and then board, gratis, a NYC Water Taxi for a trip across the harbor to Wall Street. Bikes are welcome on board and you don't even have to shop at Ikea!

So on a beautiful end-of-summer Tuesday, my friend Ed and I pedaled over the Ikea for a free taxi ride to Manhattan.

Ed calls for me and we set off for Red Hook by bike.

Red Hook is separated from Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill by the giant, hulking Gowanus Expressway.

Wow - what a view. Prime waterfront land for a furniture store. Hey! But we got a nice park out of it, right?

Fabulous views of our city's harbor abound. Here, old cranes from yesteryear are hover above you as the promenade wends its way along the old port. In the distance, the Statue of Liberty.

The ferry boards at Ikea and takes you to lower Manhattan.

The ride across the harbor is breathtaking. As you leave the shelter of Erie Basin, views of the remote Manhattan skyline stand in contrast to the rotting decay of the abandoned piers and structures of the Brooklyn waterfront. Then, quickly, you pass Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Downtown Brooklyn with its new high rises. Approaching the Wall Street pier where we would debark, other boats pass by and helicopters hover overhead and lower New York's gleaming skyscrapers tower above set off against a brilliant blue sky. Further up the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge spans the horizon and I thought that this is truly one of the great panoramas to be enjoyed anywhere.

Leaving Brooklyn, the Manhattan skyline competes with the rotting decay of Brooklyn's moribune waterfront.

There's the statue!

Fabulous views of Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey!

We pass some of the last few working piers on Brooklyn's waterfront - a shadow of their former self.

A good opportunity for photos.

Looking up the East River - the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge beyond it.

We reach our destination - the Wall Street pier and lower Manhattan.

Pedaling For Peace - A Great Bike Ride (And A Wet One)

Jun 2, 2008

This past Saturday, dozens of intrepid cyclists set out from NYC's Central Park. They were biking to raise funds for the NYC section of United for Peace and Justice, a national coalition of organizations fighting to end the war on Iraq and other issues of foreign and domestic policy. This was the second annual Pedal for Peace bike ride.

The turnout was smaller than expected due to dire predictions of heavy rains. And we did get poured on but, fortunately, not till the end of the ride. Still, the spirit of the riders was high and the dedication to the cause of peace, indefatigable. In the end, we raised $4,000 for our favorite cause: peace. And we had a fun-filled and rewarding bike ride.

Stacey mounts her bike at our house in Brooklyn at 9:30. We're setting off for Prospect Perk, our local coffee shop where' we'll meet friends and board the subway to Manhattan.

It was a cloudy day as we awoke Saturday morning and got ready to leave for Manhattan. The overcast skies did not bode well for a bike ride. But at least it wasn't raining and we hoped that the showers would at least hold off until after we were finished. We met our friend Roque at Prospect Perk, our local coffee shop, and then hopped onto the Q train where we met up with another friend, Sam and his son, Noah. We took the train to 57th Street and rode the 3 miles or so up through the park to the starting point: 110th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard.

Arriving at the starting point we found other bikers with their distinctive yellow t-shirts and lots of volunteers to check us in and cheer us on.

Out friends, Noah and his dad, Sam. They're ready to ride.

The riders were chafing at the bit, wanting to get under way and beat the raindrops. But first, some pointers and tips from Leslie Kielson of NYC-UFPJ. She reported on upcoming actions to end the war that the group was planning. Next the head marshall for the ride gave us advice on how to ride safely and what to do in the event of a problem or accident.

Finally, we were off. Up we rode through Harlem, a stream of yellow-shirted bike riders. Chanting (or in my case, bellowing) peace slogans demanding an end to the war in Iraq, the swift return of the troops and the reversal of priorities away from war and to meet people's needs, we were met with enthusiastic greeting from people out shopping or hanging out on their stoops. Many flashed us the V sign. Others cheered or applauded. It was very exciting and exhilarating.

This was a family ride with lots of young bikers for global justice and peace.

Bikes had peace signs mounted on them - people on the streets greeted the bikers with enthusiastic support.

Here's a great sight -- An entire family pedaling for peace.

Leslie Kielson, of UFPJ-NYC, gives a last minute pep talk before we pedal on out of Central Park.

We're off! At 11 o'clock the riders left Central Park and headed up through Harlem.

The view in my rear view mirror.

"We're riding today against the war in Iraq - to bring the troops home and to bring the money home!" People responded with applause and v-signs.

Heading up the very steep Macombs Dam bridge ramp.

The route took us through Harlem and then El Barrio where some of the riders shouted out "¡Fin a la guerra!" (End the war!)Again, folks on the street shouted back their support. Now we knew first hand what the polls meant when they said 70% of the American people hate this war and want it over. From my vantage point, on top my bike, it seemed like it was over 90% but that's not a scientific poll, is it?

After a while of huffing and puffing and a long upgrade near the very pretty Macombs Dam bridge (that leads to Yankee Stadium) we reached our destination - High Bridge Park in upper Manhattan at 168th Street. The High Bridge is NYC's oldest standing bridge and was built in 1848 to carry fresh drinking water from upstate to New York. The view from the elevated park is awesome and you can see clear across the Harlem River below and out across The Bronx.

Our rest stop at High Bridge park in upper Manhattan. Awesome views across The Bronx and beyond.

Bikers at our rest stop with the High Bridge Tower in the background.

Looking out from High Bridge park across The Bronx.

After being served sandwiches, apples and health bars we were ready for a nap but the rain began. It was a few drops at first but then a bit heavier. But we had quite a few miles to get back to our starting point. So we mounted our trusty steeds and headed back south. The rain came down harder and harder. But, we figured, once you're wet, you're wet. We adjusted our speed downwards (for saftey's sake) and had lots of fun as we finally reached Central Park again. The rain had soaked us but it not dampened our enthusiasm for what was a wonderful bike ride with a lofty purpose. We're all looking forward to the third annual ride next year and hoping it will be a bit sunnier and, yes, drier.

We rode through a pouring rain on our way back - but the spirit remained high as we returned to our starting point in Central Park.

For a slide show of all my photos, click here.

Have You Taken The McCain-Bush Challenge?

May 29, 2008

Volunteers for MoveOn moved into the streets of my neighborhood yesterday. They were busy asking residents if they would take the McCain-Bush Challenge. That's a quick 5-question quiz that tests a person's knowledge of "the difference between Bush and McCain."

The MoveOn campaign "Take the McCain-Bush Challenge" tests people knowledge of the differences or similarities between the current president and the GOP's pretender to the throne.

Now just hold on a minute! I've been operating on the understanding that McCain was just a mere clone of Bush. In fact, I've taken to calling him McBush. Turns out that there are differences: on many issues he's, if you can imagine this, even worse than Bush!

Out on the streets of Park Slope, in Brooklyn, MoveOn members asked passersby to participate in the McCain-Bush Challenge.

You can take the McCain-Bush Challenge, and see for yourself.

In case you think you knew everything there is to know about John McCain, here's one of the questions:

Q: Who promised that U.S. troops would be greeted as "liberators" in Iraq?

A: McCain. (Dick Cheney said that, too. In fact, McCain is more of a Bush-Cheney hybrid. Which is a pretty scary thought.)

On a serious note, it's important to be well-armed on McCain's voting record. His slick PR is designed to present him as a moderate and an independent maverick - one who doesn't tow the GOP line on the crucial issues of the day. In reality, he's one of the most conservative members of the Senate. On each and every question of war (gung ho and would take us to war with Iran in a heartbeat), the environment (received a score of zero from the League of Conservation Voters), the housing crisis (he said the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a “second job” and skip their vacations! By the way, he owns nine houses!!) he's as bad or worse than Bush.

Q: Who said "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned"? A: McCain. In fact, John McCain has gotten a rating of zero percent from NARAL Pro-Choice America for 6 years running.

MoveOn has taken a popular and light-hearted approach to exposing the real John McCain. Light-hearted it might be but the truth brought out by their Challenge quiz is this: McCain is a clear and present danger to our health and to the future of our country and world. Take the McCain/Bush Challenge and have your friends and family) who might be confused by the Republican spin) take it also. Click here to take the Challenge.

M*A*S*H* Comes To Brooklyn

May 27, 2008

Actor and activist, Mike Farrell, - the loveable B.J. Hunnicutt of TV's M*A*S*H*, came to Brooklyn last night. The occasion was the Spring fundraiser for Brooklyn For Peace.

On one of those beautiful and balmy Spring evenings, close to eighty BFP supporters gathered at a Dekalb Avenue hot spot, the South African Madiba Restaurant. They came to dine, drink and socialize and to listen to Farrell, author of a new book, Just Call Me Mike, talk about his views on questions of peace and social justice. These are issues dear to BFP members and friends as they continue to demand an end to the war in Iraq, to prevent a new war in Iran and to fight for a more just society at home.

Madiba Restaurant on Brooklyn's Dekalb Avenue, is a hot, multi-cultural restaurant featuring South African cuisine.

Registered guests are checked in at BFP's Spring Fundraiser at Madiba Restaurant.

Molly Nolan of BFP's Israel-Palestine Committee and BFP's Co-Chair, David Tykulsker, worked hard to make the fundraiser a huge success. Thanks!

Eleanor Preiss (center), BFP's Treasurer, put in many hours that guaranteed the success of the evening at Madiba. Thanks, Eleanor!

David Tykulsker, Co-Chair of the organization, began the evening by greeting the guests and reviewing some of the recent work of Brooklyn For Peace. From its Iraq Committee's work against the war to the Israel-Palestine Committee's work for peace in the Mideast to the counter-recruitment activities in local high schools carried out by BFP's Anti-Militarism Committee, Tykulsker depicted an organization deeply involved in community work for peace and justice.

David Tykulsker, Co-Chair of Brooklyn For Peace, greets the crowd at the Spring Fundraiser at Madiba Restaurant.

Next up was the very entertaining and very funny Dave Lippman who kept the crowd in stitches as he portrayed George Shrub, the singing CIA agent. Lobbing rapid-fire missives and malaprops, Lippman satirized and skewered George Bush and his disastrous policies to the delight of the audience.

Dave Lippman as George Shrub, singing CIA agent, entertains at the Brooklyn For Peace Spring fundraiser at Madiba Restaurant.

Following Lippman, Rusti Eisenberg, Co-Chair of Brooklyn For Peace, gave a summary of the fight in Congress to end the war in Iraq. Talking about the historic "no" vote against funding that passed the House several weeks ago, she called on people to keep the pressure on Congress because the Senate reversed that decision and granted Bush the money to continue the war.

Rusti Eisenberg, Co-Chair of Brooklyn For Peace - "I know it seems that you've been calling Congress more often than you call your best friends. But it's time to call again."

Part of the crowd attending BFP's Spring Fundraiser at Madiba Restaurant.

Finally, the evening's guest, Mike Farrell, took the mic. Farrell has mixed a successful career in film and TV with an unbending dedication to social activism. He was in the forefront of struggles for peace and against repression in Latin America and has been a leader in the fight to abolish the death penalty. He told the audience that he sees human rights as the common thread that connects the movement for peace in Iraq with questions such as opposition to the death penalty and a desire to save our world from enviornmental disaster. His remarks were well received and a question and answer period followed his talk. Farrell also took time out to personally sign copies of his new book that were distributed and sold at the dinner.

Mike Farrell speaks and takes questions from the audience.

Farrell: "Human rights is the common thread that runs through all the struggles for peace, justice, saving the environment...."

Guests overflowed the main dining room at BFP's Spring Fundraiser at Madiba Restaurant.

Brooklyn For Peace successfuly mixed dining, drink, socializing and politics at its Spring Fundraiser at Madiba Restaurant.

The Spring Fundraiser was a huge success. It brought together friends and fellow peace activists in a cozy and sociable surrounding. And it raised money - not an unimportant matter - that will enable Brooklyn For Peace to continue the fight for a better world.

By the way, Mike Farrell wrote up his experience in Brooklyn in his own blog on the Huffington Post.

Read it here: Mike's Blog and then scroll down to "DAY SIXTEEN, May 26, 2008."