Comments on: Protest at Unconventional Women Event

By: name

name — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 23:04:36 +0000

Beautiful site,

By: Charlotte Koons

Charlotte Koons — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:40:35 +0000

As a founding member of CODEPINK LONG ISLAND, I have been following all the bold, creative actions at both conventions. I am heartened by your courage and persistence.
Having been an educator for 50+ years, I doubt if any permanent damage was done to the girl scouts- seeing women like their mothers protesting is a possibility model, after the initial shock wears off. Though I applaud all your actions at the RNC, I hope to hear about our cooperation with other peace activist groups. Have you been able to network or have the ‘preemptive raids’ hindered that communication? Pinksters unite to ‘right’ the Right!

By: Katherine

Katherine — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:00:29 +0000

Codepink inspires me! You all have found a place in my heart because of the way you conduct demonstrations and what you stand for–PEACE. I know that freedom of speech is important, and I know that we can’t acheive everything while being complacent and polite, but sometimes remaining silent is one of the most powerful things someone can do.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:01:08 +0000

I agree, but as a mother of one of the girl scouts in the front row it was NOT an appropriate place. There were 150 young girl in that auditorium. Some with mothers, some with troop leaders. Those girls were scared and as they were literally climbing over myself and my daughter, my first instinct was to protect her. My daughter is 13 and I was able to explain the importance of protesting, but ya know she was one of the older scouts there and she was VERY scared. I can only imagine how all the other little girls on the other side of us were feeling. We went there to empower our daughters. To unite women. The world is not so black and white. There is a time and a place. That was NOT the place!!

By: Susan in Austin

Susan in Austin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:06:43 +0000

I appreciate reading the comments, and I love all the blogging, photos, etc. that you all are sending out about the DNC goings-on! I’m glued to your coverage!
My earlier comments regarding the Pelosi confrontation have to be taken as my own views and not necessarily representative of the views of others in our local group. But, yes, my observations do result partly from some of our local group’s experiences.
In one of our most powerful local actions (I think), we held a banner at our State Capitol in the Senate chamber where TX Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was speaking during the TX Book Festival last fall about her new book about women leaders. Our banner read “Lady, lead us out of war” as a play on the book’s title, “Leading Ladies.” Because we were silent, we were not thrown out, and the Senator had to deal with us (dressed in pink slips which also contained messages that we revealed one by one as we each slowly stood up in turn alongside the banner.) When time came for questions (she only left time for one — from one of our CP women!), the Senator actually began by thanking us for allowing her to speak without verbal interruption.
In a more recent action, our local group appeared as a band of supersheroes at the Pelosi talk at the Netroots Nation convention in Austin. We hadn’t planned on the group being able to get into the Pelosi talk, actually — and had just planned to flier attendees as they entered, encouraging them to “use their superpowers” to call for impeachment and end the war. Once inside the convention hall, some of the folks in our group decided to ramp up the message by walking up and down the aisles and then shouting out a bit during the last question. I understood the frustration that led to it — Pelosi’s evasion of the important issues and her tendency to “filibuster” on less significant matters. The crowd seemed glad we were there in the beginning, but didn’t like the interruptions, for the most part. It made envision, later, other ways we might have made our point stronger by harnessing the early support of the crowd — not that being a crowd-pleaser is the goal. That said, I know we often have to be spontaneous and make decisions on the fly, and I wouldn’t want to miss the creative things that can happen spontanteously by being too rigid, nor would I want to stifle our important voices in any way — as long as we try as much as possible to uphold the dignity of everyone involved, including those who are considered opponents.
Carry on!

– Pink sister in Austin

By: Kathy Greene

Kathy Greene — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:56:05 +0000

When I first joined CodePink, I was often appalled at the contrast between the comical look of a grown woman wearing a pink slip over her clothes and a goofy hat that went out of ‘style’ fifty years ago,oh yes, and a feather boa, too, with the dire seriousness of our endeavors. How in the world can we expect to be taken seriously, I wondered. I still think this is a problem, and that it undercuts our message. Especially since every CodePink member I’ve ever met is a very sophisticated and knowledgeable political animal.

I was shouting “Liar” while the very conventional butts in seats shouted for me to be thrown out, so they could return to the platitudes and pablum they long for. They’re probably going to Disneyland on the way home. I am as angry as I can stand. I am sick that my country is repeating its Vietnam mistake, and the more Democrat delegates I talk to, the more sick I get. I’ve had a Democrat tell me that it wasn’t strategically smart to fight for poor peoples’ votes to be counted,because if he’d won, Iraq would have become Kerry’s problem to solve. How many have died since then? Sorry – I’m just not that patient a person. Nancy Pelosi lied right to my face when I asked her very politely how she could urge passage of the ‘Iraqi’ oil law. “My” Congressman stood there and gave me the ‘brush-off’, after telling me we had to drum up suport for ending the war. We did that. And we’re scum to him (George Miller). I want my money back!