Joan Wile, Singer/ASCAP Songwriter and author of new book, "GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR: GETTING OFF OUR FANNIES AND STANDING UP FOR PEACE," published by Citadel Press, has just made a video of her song, "GRANDMAMA FOR OBAMA," and posted it on YouTube.
She hopes it will assist in helping Obama to pick up the older white woman vote.
Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwgpHq4cKC8
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
TRANSLATION OF HILLARY'S APOLOGY (IN RHYME)
by Joan Wile, ASCAP songwriter, and author,
"Grandmothers Against the War: Getting off Our Fannies and Standing up for Peace,"
published April 29, 2008, by Citadel Press
IF I OFFENDED YOU, I APOLOGIZE
I DIDN'T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK I MEANT
AND IF BY CHANCE MY OPPONENT DIES
I 'LL DEFTLY HIDE MY MERRIMENT
DON'T TELL ME IT WAS JUST A FREUDIAN SLIP
MY SUBCONSCIUS MIND IS UNDER STRICT CONTROL
MY DEMON THOUGHTS DO NOT ESCAPE MY LIP
I MOSTLY KEEP THEM HIDDEN IN MY SOUL
CAN I HELP IT IF I HAVE AMBITION?
YES, I WANT TO BE THE PRESIDENT
SO WHAT IF THAT'S MY PERSONAL MISSION?
IT'S A MATTER OF ENTITLEMENT
AND FORGET ABOUT MY BEING VICE
THAT'S NOT WHY I'M IN THIS RACE
I DIDN'T IGNORE HIS BIMBOS AND PLAY NICE
JUST TO END IN SECOND PLACE
I WANT IT ALL, WITH BLINDED PASSION
AND IT'S MINE BY EVERY RIGHT
SO, LISTEN, YOU WOULD-BE ASSASSIN
JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE WHITE
"Grandmothers Against the War: Getting off Our Fannies and Standing up for Peace,"
published April 29, 2008, by Citadel Press
IF I OFFENDED YOU, I APOLOGIZE
I DIDN'T MEAN WHAT YOU THINK I MEANT
AND IF BY CHANCE MY OPPONENT DIES
I 'LL DEFTLY HIDE MY MERRIMENT
DON'T TELL ME IT WAS JUST A FREUDIAN SLIP
MY SUBCONSCIUS MIND IS UNDER STRICT CONTROL
MY DEMON THOUGHTS DO NOT ESCAPE MY LIP
I MOSTLY KEEP THEM HIDDEN IN MY SOUL
CAN I HELP IT IF I HAVE AMBITION?
YES, I WANT TO BE THE PRESIDENT
SO WHAT IF THAT'S MY PERSONAL MISSION?
IT'S A MATTER OF ENTITLEMENT
AND FORGET ABOUT MY BEING VICE
THAT'S NOT WHY I'M IN THIS RACE
I DIDN'T IGNORE HIS BIMBOS AND PLAY NICE
JUST TO END IN SECOND PLACE
I WANT IT ALL, WITH BLINDED PASSION
AND IT'S MINE BY EVERY RIGHT
SO, LISTEN, YOU WOULD-BE ASSASSIN
JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE WHITE
Monday, April 28, 2008
HILL AND BILL PILLOW TALK -- SCENE 5
BILL AND HILL PILLOW TALK -- APRIL 27, 2008
by Joan Wile, author,
"Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies And Standing Up For Peace,"
published by Citadel Press
HILL: AHA! I beat that SOB. I've got him reeling since Pennslvania. He and his campaign people don't know what the hell to do. I'm gaining. I'm gaining.
BILL: Now, hold on, Hillary, you haven't gotten to the Oval Office yet. There are warning signs developing. Congressman Clyburn came out yesterday and trashed our, I mean, your campaign. You might lose the whole black vote. You can't win without them.
HILL: What do I care? At least I've destroyed that spoiler's image enough so that if he's nominated he'll lose the election. Then, it's a cinch for me in 2012.
BILL: You're not getting any younger, Hillary. You may not be up to it in four years when you'll be 64. You're already beginning to look a little ragged around the edges.
HILL: Hey, you pulled that age crap on me already with that dumb-ass remark about being sixty and forgetting things. It cost me some votes. I'm hailed for my energy, my ability to keep on fighting even though I'm sleep deprived and on the hustle 24-7. Lay off that, mister.
BILL: Well, I'm trying to give you a reality check. You're still behind in delegate count and popular vote. So, don't go counting your chickens.
HILL: What do you mean, I'm behind in popular vote? I've got Florida and Michigan to pull me ahead.
BILL: Excuse me, but they're not counting Florida and Michigan. You promised not to include them in your vote counts. Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan.
HILL: Who cares? By hook or by crook, I'm going to get those votes counted, and I'm not going to allow a redo, either. I want them just the way they are -- with no opposition.
BILL: I'm telling you, they won't let you get away with that. And, you've got other problems. People don't LIKE you. The more you campaign, the more your likeability rating tanks. The super delegates pay attention to shit like that.
HILL: So what? You can twist all those arms for me, can't you, Bill? You've got plenty of goods on most of them. The bribes they gave you to push their legislation. The enormous questionable contributions to your Library. The crooked investment deals they've negotiated for you lately. They won't dare cross you.
BILL; Yeah? Well, he's got the supers crossing over to him in droves. Even your own fund raiser, what's his name, that spick, Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon, just switched to Obama. I think you'd better lay off some of the low blows you've been delivering.
HILL: Be serious. That's the only way I can beat him. I'll get as low as I have to. If you think I'm going to let this presidency slip away, you're nuts. He stole it from me. It was mine! You promised it to me if I stuck with you when you got caught fooling around with that fat bimbo. I want it! I'll get it, I don't care what I have to do!
BILL: Hillary, get a hold of yourself. You're going ballistic. You'll hurt your image if word of these tantrums gets out. Why don't you take a snort of cocaine? It always calms you down.
HILL: I used it up. Contact our connection, that Columbian friend of yours -- the one with the mining company. Now, listen, I want you to stop criticizing me. Let's talk about YOU. You're certainly not helping any by cursing when the microphone can pick it up like it did after your interview with that reporter the other day. Talk about dwindling reputations. You've been positively TORPEDOING yours lately. And, another thing. I'd like to know why George asked me that question about Bosnia at the last debate. I thought you took care of him. He was just supposed to get on OBAMA's case. He only asked three of the questions you paid him to ask. What happened to the fourth one -- the one asking him about his mother being an atheist? That was supposed to be the killer.
BILL: I decided not to go there. That's shaky ground. You've blathered on so much about your faith, I don't want to risk you're being exposed as a phony.
HILL: I can lie about anything I want to. This is politics.
BILL: I can't argue with that, that's for sure.
HILL: OK, now go back to your bedroom. I've got to think up my next attack. Maybe I'll pull out the race card all the way and tell Indiana he's a member of the Black Panthers.
BILL: Good one. And, why don't you look over those guidelines again that Karl Rove sent you? Well, g'night.
HILL: (ignoring him -- talking to self) Should I say he's a Black Panther or should I say he's a closet gay? Maybe I'll say he's a secret agent for the Castros....I'll get him....I'll get him. I MUST be President. Nobody else but me is entitled to be.
by Joan Wile, author,
"Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies And Standing Up For Peace,"
published by Citadel Press
HILL: AHA! I beat that SOB. I've got him reeling since Pennslvania. He and his campaign people don't know what the hell to do. I'm gaining. I'm gaining.
BILL: Now, hold on, Hillary, you haven't gotten to the Oval Office yet. There are warning signs developing. Congressman Clyburn came out yesterday and trashed our, I mean, your campaign. You might lose the whole black vote. You can't win without them.
HILL: What do I care? At least I've destroyed that spoiler's image enough so that if he's nominated he'll lose the election. Then, it's a cinch for me in 2012.
BILL: You're not getting any younger, Hillary. You may not be up to it in four years when you'll be 64. You're already beginning to look a little ragged around the edges.
HILL: Hey, you pulled that age crap on me already with that dumb-ass remark about being sixty and forgetting things. It cost me some votes. I'm hailed for my energy, my ability to keep on fighting even though I'm sleep deprived and on the hustle 24-7. Lay off that, mister.
BILL: Well, I'm trying to give you a reality check. You're still behind in delegate count and popular vote. So, don't go counting your chickens.
HILL: What do you mean, I'm behind in popular vote? I've got Florida and Michigan to pull me ahead.
BILL: Excuse me, but they're not counting Florida and Michigan. You promised not to include them in your vote counts. Obama wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan.
HILL: Who cares? By hook or by crook, I'm going to get those votes counted, and I'm not going to allow a redo, either. I want them just the way they are -- with no opposition.
BILL: I'm telling you, they won't let you get away with that. And, you've got other problems. People don't LIKE you. The more you campaign, the more your likeability rating tanks. The super delegates pay attention to shit like that.
HILL: So what? You can twist all those arms for me, can't you, Bill? You've got plenty of goods on most of them. The bribes they gave you to push their legislation. The enormous questionable contributions to your Library. The crooked investment deals they've negotiated for you lately. They won't dare cross you.
BILL; Yeah? Well, he's got the supers crossing over to him in droves. Even your own fund raiser, what's his name, that spick, Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon, just switched to Obama. I think you'd better lay off some of the low blows you've been delivering.
HILL: Be serious. That's the only way I can beat him. I'll get as low as I have to. If you think I'm going to let this presidency slip away, you're nuts. He stole it from me. It was mine! You promised it to me if I stuck with you when you got caught fooling around with that fat bimbo. I want it! I'll get it, I don't care what I have to do!
BILL: Hillary, get a hold of yourself. You're going ballistic. You'll hurt your image if word of these tantrums gets out. Why don't you take a snort of cocaine? It always calms you down.
HILL: I used it up. Contact our connection, that Columbian friend of yours -- the one with the mining company. Now, listen, I want you to stop criticizing me. Let's talk about YOU. You're certainly not helping any by cursing when the microphone can pick it up like it did after your interview with that reporter the other day. Talk about dwindling reputations. You've been positively TORPEDOING yours lately. And, another thing. I'd like to know why George asked me that question about Bosnia at the last debate. I thought you took care of him. He was just supposed to get on OBAMA's case. He only asked three of the questions you paid him to ask. What happened to the fourth one -- the one asking him about his mother being an atheist? That was supposed to be the killer.
BILL: I decided not to go there. That's shaky ground. You've blathered on so much about your faith, I don't want to risk you're being exposed as a phony.
HILL: I can lie about anything I want to. This is politics.
BILL: I can't argue with that, that's for sure.
HILL: OK, now go back to your bedroom. I've got to think up my next attack. Maybe I'll pull out the race card all the way and tell Indiana he's a member of the Black Panthers.
BILL: Good one. And, why don't you look over those guidelines again that Karl Rove sent you? Well, g'night.
HILL: (ignoring him -- talking to self) Should I say he's a Black Panther or should I say he's a closet gay? Maybe I'll say he's a secret agent for the Castros....I'll get him....I'll get him. I MUST be President. Nobody else but me is entitled to be.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
CAN GRANDMOTHERS STOP WAR?
Here's the first review of my book, GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR; GETTING OFF OUR FANNIES AND STANDING UP FOR PEACE, published by Citadel Press, available April 29 in book stores or online at amazon.com or bn.com.
Can Grandmothers End Wars?
David Swanson -- from democrats.com blog --Here is the perfect Mother's Day gift for your mother, your mother in law, your grandmothers, and in fact for the men in their lives as well - who ought to be shamed into action। Joan Wile has published a book called "Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace." As far as I know, this is her first book. It is very much an account of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. If more people did the same, we would put an end to war.Of course, the people in this book are extraordinary, but everyone is, and the actions that Wile recounts this group of grandmothers having taken are actions she describes as fun and exciting. If more people understood that and acted on it, we would put an end to war.These grandmothers in New York City hold a weekly vigil against the occupation of Iraq. And they mean it. They are protesting the current proposal by the Democrats to "oppose" the occupation by throwing another $178 billion at it. Quick! Quick! Can somebody "oppose" me like that?The grannies don't just vigil. They generate significant discussion of peace in the media through actions that have included attempting to get themselves recruited at the Times Square military recruiting office. They sat down in front, were arrested, went to trial, put the war itself on trial, and were acquitted, generating more attention all the while.They've traveled abroad, networking with peace activists, and spreading awareness of the depth of American opposition to our government's crimes.They've bird-dogged John McCain and Hillary Clinton. And Clinton recently gave peace activists the credit for her defeat.They've gone to Washington and lobbied for peace. They've performed hilarious and biting song and dance routines. They've inspired and collaborated with grannies around the country and others working for peace. They've knitted stump-socks in rocking chairs in front of the Veterans Administration. If more people took similar actions, we would put an end to war and have more fun at the same time.In case you did ever doubt that a handful of people can make a difference, that one person can make a difference: READ THIS BOOK. Then go forth and do likewise. And order a copy now for every Mother's Day present you'll need.Learn more at http://www.grandmothersagainstthewar.org(Source Link)
Can Grandmothers End Wars?
David Swanson -- from democrats.com blog --Here is the perfect Mother's Day gift for your mother, your mother in law, your grandmothers, and in fact for the men in their lives as well - who ought to be shamed into action। Joan Wile has published a book called "Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace." As far as I know, this is her first book. It is very much an account of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. If more people did the same, we would put an end to war.Of course, the people in this book are extraordinary, but everyone is, and the actions that Wile recounts this group of grandmothers having taken are actions she describes as fun and exciting. If more people understood that and acted on it, we would put an end to war.These grandmothers in New York City hold a weekly vigil against the occupation of Iraq. And they mean it. They are protesting the current proposal by the Democrats to "oppose" the occupation by throwing another $178 billion at it. Quick! Quick! Can somebody "oppose" me like that?The grannies don't just vigil. They generate significant discussion of peace in the media through actions that have included attempting to get themselves recruited at the Times Square military recruiting office. They sat down in front, were arrested, went to trial, put the war itself on trial, and were acquitted, generating more attention all the while.They've traveled abroad, networking with peace activists, and spreading awareness of the depth of American opposition to our government's crimes.They've bird-dogged John McCain and Hillary Clinton. And Clinton recently gave peace activists the credit for her defeat.They've gone to Washington and lobbied for peace. They've performed hilarious and biting song and dance routines. They've inspired and collaborated with grannies around the country and others working for peace. They've knitted stump-socks in rocking chairs in front of the Veterans Administration. If more people took similar actions, we would put an end to war and have more fun at the same time.In case you did ever doubt that a handful of people can make a difference, that one person can make a difference: READ THIS BOOK. Then go forth and do likewise. And order a copy now for every Mother's Day present you'll need.Learn more at http://www.grandmothersagainstthewar.org(Source Link)
Friday, April 4, 2008
READ MY NEW BOOK!
GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR: Getting Off Our Fannies And Standing Up For Peace
Author: Joan Wile
Foreword: Malachy McCourt
Pub. Date: April 29, 2008
Publisher: Citadel Press
Pre-order from amazon.com or bn.com
First signing: May 5 at Barnes & Noble 82nd and Broadway, Manhattan
One Person CAN Make A Difference!
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking, "I've got to DO something," but felt like you were just one person who couldn’t bring about change? Well, Joan Wile woke up one night thinking she had to do something about the war in Iraq.
Little did she know how far she would go…
Joan founded Grandmothers Against the War in 2003. In this outspoken memoir, she tells the amazing story of the courageous, spunky women who stood up for their beliefs and refused to back down. From staging a protest in Times Square and getting thrown in jail, to marching to Washington DC, to speaking and protesting abroad, these activists are sure to inspire you with their hope and determination against all odds.
It’s never too late to change your life—and take action!
Joan Wile is the founder of Grandmothers Against the War and has been devoted to it since 2003. She is also an award-winning singer/songwriter with an extensive background in recording studios and cabarets. She has written six musicals, four of which were produced off and off-off Broadway. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, www.commondreams.com, www.michaelmoore.com, Opednews.com, and many others. She attended the University of Chicago, and is the mother of two children, and grandmother of five. Visit her at www.grandmothersagainstthewar.org. or her blog, www.joanwile.blogspot.com. Or, listen to her granny anti-war song on youtube -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXVAsHtitW0.
Author: Joan Wile
Foreword: Malachy McCourt
Pub. Date: April 29, 2008
Publisher: Citadel Press
Pre-order from amazon.com or bn.com
First signing: May 5 at Barnes & Noble 82nd and Broadway, Manhattan
One Person CAN Make A Difference!
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night thinking, "I've got to DO something," but felt like you were just one person who couldn’t bring about change? Well, Joan Wile woke up one night thinking she had to do something about the war in Iraq.
Little did she know how far she would go…
Joan founded Grandmothers Against the War in 2003. In this outspoken memoir, she tells the amazing story of the courageous, spunky women who stood up for their beliefs and refused to back down. From staging a protest in Times Square and getting thrown in jail, to marching to Washington DC, to speaking and protesting abroad, these activists are sure to inspire you with their hope and determination against all odds.
It’s never too late to change your life—and take action!
Joan Wile is the founder of Grandmothers Against the War and has been devoted to it since 2003. She is also an award-winning singer/songwriter with an extensive background in recording studios and cabarets. She has written six musicals, four of which were produced off and off-off Broadway. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, www.commondreams.com, www.michaelmoore.com, Opednews.com, and many others. She attended the University of Chicago, and is the mother of two children, and grandmother of five. Visit her at www.grandmothersagainstthewar.org. or her blog, www.joanwile.blogspot.com. Or, listen to her granny anti-war song on youtube -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXVAsHtitW0.
Friday, March 28, 2008
AN OLDER WHITE WOMAN'S ANGER WITH HILLARY
AN OLDER WHITE WOMAN'S ANGER WITH HILLARY
by Joan Wile, Founder, Grandmothers Against the War
and author, GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR: Getting Off Our Fannies And Standing Up For Peace," to be published by Citadel Press April 29, 2008
I have many reasons for being angry with Hillary Clinton, but one outweighs the others.
I don't like the fact that she is a hawk who morphed into a dove only because she realized it would hurt her campaign if she were perceived as being a supporter of the war in Iraq. I don't like the nasty way she trashes Obama. I don't like her transparent opportunism and heedless ambition. I don't like the thought of a co-presidency with Bill, who is not the person I thought him to be.
But, what I can't stomach most of all is the fact that after almost 400 years since slavery and the continuing racism that has permeated American life and so eaten away at our democracy, she is obstructing the potential to transcend that racism, finally, by electing a black president.
She can insist that her candidacy is breaking the glass ceiling for women, but electing a female president is not as earthshaking a precedent as having a black chief of state would be. Women are not discriminated against the way black people are. They are not called names. They are not ghettoized. They are not socially shunned in many places. Unless, of course, they are black. There is a world of difference between the discrimination accorded women and that accorded African Americans. Barack Obama's presidency would go a long, long way to changing that ugly fact of our culture.
This is what enrages me so. If she were obviously the better candidate, I would not feel this way. But, she isn't. In fact, I suspect she isn't equal to Obama when it comes to "crossing the commander in chief threshold." Why, oh why, then, does she continue this, yes, selfish quest and thereby deny us the most healing event, perhaps, in our history?
So, Hillary, I'm calling on you to put aside your out-sized ambition, your sense of entitlement, so that the United States will have this wonderful opportunity to at long last cross the racial divide in our country and, hopefully, leave it behind forever. Wouldn't that be magnificent, and wouldn't its realization compensate you for your lost dream?
Come on, girl, give it up! Let freedom ring!
by Joan Wile, Founder, Grandmothers Against the War
and author, GRANDMOTHERS AGAINST THE WAR: Getting Off Our Fannies And Standing Up For Peace," to be published by Citadel Press April 29, 2008
I have many reasons for being angry with Hillary Clinton, but one outweighs the others.
I don't like the fact that she is a hawk who morphed into a dove only because she realized it would hurt her campaign if she were perceived as being a supporter of the war in Iraq. I don't like the nasty way she trashes Obama. I don't like her transparent opportunism and heedless ambition. I don't like the thought of a co-presidency with Bill, who is not the person I thought him to be.
But, what I can't stomach most of all is the fact that after almost 400 years since slavery and the continuing racism that has permeated American life and so eaten away at our democracy, she is obstructing the potential to transcend that racism, finally, by electing a black president.
She can insist that her candidacy is breaking the glass ceiling for women, but electing a female president is not as earthshaking a precedent as having a black chief of state would be. Women are not discriminated against the way black people are. They are not called names. They are not ghettoized. They are not socially shunned in many places. Unless, of course, they are black. There is a world of difference between the discrimination accorded women and that accorded African Americans. Barack Obama's presidency would go a long, long way to changing that ugly fact of our culture.
This is what enrages me so. If she were obviously the better candidate, I would not feel this way. But, she isn't. In fact, I suspect she isn't equal to Obama when it comes to "crossing the commander in chief threshold." Why, oh why, then, does she continue this, yes, selfish quest and thereby deny us the most healing event, perhaps, in our history?
So, Hillary, I'm calling on you to put aside your out-sized ambition, your sense of entitlement, so that the United States will have this wonderful opportunity to at long last cross the racial divide in our country and, hopefully, leave it behind forever. Wouldn't that be magnificent, and wouldn't its realization compensate you for your lost dream?
Come on, girl, give it up! Let freedom ring!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
AMERICAN GRANNIES IN 20 CITIES CREATIVELY PROTEST ON MARCH 19; SOME ARRESTED
AMERICAN GRANNIES EXPRESS OUTRAGE AFTER 5 YEARS OF WAR;
Grandmothers in 20 Cities Protest Occupation; Some Get Arrested
With knitting needles, with dirty linen clotheslines, many with songs, and some with acts of civil disobedience, grandmother groups across the United States in at least 20 cities expressed their frustration, their deep rage at the continued occupation of Iraq. This was the granny was of commemorating the end of five years since the bombing of Iraq on March 19, 2003.
The coordinated granny actions, initiated by the Granny Peace Brigade in New York City, were the latest ones demonstrating once again that the grandmothers of America have been in the forefront of the peace movement since Day One of the U.S. catastrophic invasion of a sovereign nation.
Perhaps the most noteworthy of the protests was that carried out in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 17, where 10 members of the Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace were arrested and jailed for 10 hours when they attempted to enlist in the military at a recruiting center. Said Doris Benit, 80, one of the arrestees: "We believe our young people were sent to Iraq on a web of lies and deceit. We believe they are being used as cannon fodder in an illegal and unjustified war against a nation which posed no threat to us.”
Very whimsical Knit-Ins for Peace were held in New York City, Washington DC, Pittsburgh PA, and other cities. They were outdoor events which involved grandmothers knitting stump socks for amputee veterans. The New York Granny Peace Brigade valiantly knit in the rain for about two hours outside the Times Square recruiting center where they had been arrested and carted off to jail in 2005 for attempting to enlist, while calling out the numbers of dead and wounded from each state. The oldest granny, and perhaps the most vociferously protesting one there, was 93-year-old Marie Runyon. Part of the New York group, along with some members of the Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia and Maryland women, went to Washington, where they knit in rocking chairs outside the Veterans Administration, and when they had completed knitting a number of the stump covers, had a Veteran for Peace color guard hand them over to a VA official. Fifteen Pittsburgh grannies, the oldest of which is 84, participated in their Knit-In at a recruiting station, as pictured below.
(Pittsburgh grandmothers knitting at a local recruiting center March 19, 2008; photo by Bonnie Fortune)
Another creative demonstration was that in Philadelphia, where the grannies hung a laundry line at City Hall and hung the dirty linen of the Bush administration on it -- each item of clothing inscribed with a plea to correct the many wrongs of the Government The Philly grannies, like most of the other granny groups, sang anti-war songs during their protests.
(some of the dirty linen hung at City Hall in Philadelphia PA March 19, 2008.
photo by Cathy Clemens)
In Orange County, NY, a group of grandmas met with State University students on campus in Middletown, and urged them to participate in the anti-war movement. In spite of pouring rain, there was a good turnout and the students were surprisingly receptive. The older women had a sense that young people are beginning to take more action in the struggle to end the war.
150 people stood on four corners in Sarasota, Florida. Eight stalwart grandmothers in Boston held a vigil on Boston Common in a drenching downpour. Other groups that participated were in Spokane; Minneapolis; Detroit; Albany NY; Monkato MN; San Francisco; Montpelier VT; San Jose CA; Bloomington IND; Portland, Maine; St. Augustine FL, and Denver.
(Raging Grannies in Tucson AZ hold Knit-In for Peace on March 19, 2008)
Amazingly, a lot of the granny protests got wide media coverage in their areas. This represents a kind of breakthrough, as it has been difficult to get publicity for the many grandmother anti-war activities conducted over the last five years since the war was launched..
At least two grandmothers got arrested when a group of protesters prevented entrance to the IRS in Washington DC -- Beverly Rice of the New York Granny Peace Brigade and Sue Gracey of the Boston Raging grannies। Three other Granny Peace Brigade members -- Ann Shirazi, Jenn Heinz and Joan Pleune, were arrested in DC when they marched on the Capital.
When grandmothers are willing to risk arrest and jail, as so many of us old ladies do on a regular basis these days, you know this war is despised and must be ended. We grannies are not getting any younger and our energy is not what it was in our earlier days -- but we keep on keeping on knowing we will not be here forever and earnestly hoping that we are inspiring other and younger people to carry on our urgent quest when we no longer can.
Grandmothers in 20 Cities Protest Occupation; Some Get Arrested
With knitting needles, with dirty linen clotheslines, many with songs, and some with acts of civil disobedience, grandmother groups across the United States in at least 20 cities expressed their frustration, their deep rage at the continued occupation of Iraq. This was the granny was of commemorating the end of five years since the bombing of Iraq on March 19, 2003.
The coordinated granny actions, initiated by the Granny Peace Brigade in New York City, were the latest ones demonstrating once again that the grandmothers of America have been in the forefront of the peace movement since Day One of the U.S. catastrophic invasion of a sovereign nation.
Perhaps the most noteworthy of the protests was that carried out in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 17, where 10 members of the Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace were arrested and jailed for 10 hours when they attempted to enlist in the military at a recruiting center. Said Doris Benit, 80, one of the arrestees: "We believe our young people were sent to Iraq on a web of lies and deceit. We believe they are being used as cannon fodder in an illegal and unjustified war against a nation which posed no threat to us.”
Very whimsical Knit-Ins for Peace were held in New York City, Washington DC, Pittsburgh PA, and other cities. They were outdoor events which involved grandmothers knitting stump socks for amputee veterans. The New York Granny Peace Brigade valiantly knit in the rain for about two hours outside the Times Square recruiting center where they had been arrested and carted off to jail in 2005 for attempting to enlist, while calling out the numbers of dead and wounded from each state. The oldest granny, and perhaps the most vociferously protesting one there, was 93-year-old Marie Runyon. Part of the New York group, along with some members of the Granny Peace Brigade Philadelphia and Maryland women, went to Washington, where they knit in rocking chairs outside the Veterans Administration, and when they had completed knitting a number of the stump covers, had a Veteran for Peace color guard hand them over to a VA official. Fifteen Pittsburgh grannies, the oldest of which is 84, participated in their Knit-In at a recruiting station, as pictured below.
(Pittsburgh grandmothers knitting at a local recruiting center March 19, 2008; photo by Bonnie Fortune)
Another creative demonstration was that in Philadelphia, where the grannies hung a laundry line at City Hall and hung the dirty linen of the Bush administration on it -- each item of clothing inscribed with a plea to correct the many wrongs of the Government The Philly grannies, like most of the other granny groups, sang anti-war songs during their protests.
(some of the dirty linen hung at City Hall in Philadelphia PA March 19, 2008.
photo by Cathy Clemens)
In Orange County, NY, a group of grandmas met with State University students on campus in Middletown, and urged them to participate in the anti-war movement. In spite of pouring rain, there was a good turnout and the students were surprisingly receptive. The older women had a sense that young people are beginning to take more action in the struggle to end the war.
150 people stood on four corners in Sarasota, Florida. Eight stalwart grandmothers in Boston held a vigil on Boston Common in a drenching downpour. Other groups that participated were in Spokane; Minneapolis; Detroit; Albany NY; Monkato MN; San Francisco; Montpelier VT; San Jose CA; Bloomington IND; Portland, Maine; St. Augustine FL, and Denver.
(Raging Grannies in Tucson AZ hold Knit-In for Peace on March 19, 2008)
Amazingly, a lot of the granny protests got wide media coverage in their areas. This represents a kind of breakthrough, as it has been difficult to get publicity for the many grandmother anti-war activities conducted over the last five years since the war was launched..
At least two grandmothers got arrested when a group of protesters prevented entrance to the IRS in Washington DC -- Beverly Rice of the New York Granny Peace Brigade and Sue Gracey of the Boston Raging grannies। Three other Granny Peace Brigade members -- Ann Shirazi, Jenn Heinz and Joan Pleune, were arrested in DC when they marched on the Capital.
When grandmothers are willing to risk arrest and jail, as so many of us old ladies do on a regular basis these days, you know this war is despised and must be ended. We grannies are not getting any younger and our energy is not what it was in our earlier days -- but we keep on keeping on knowing we will not be here forever and earnestly hoping that we are inspiring other and younger people to carry on our urgent quest when we no longer can.
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