Oliver's Arrow

Winding Down

2006-08-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

With Cindy Sheehan recovering in the hospital following a successful
historectomy, virtually all of the Code Pink folks in Austin for a
retreat, and the celebrity guests largely departed now to catch up at
home before Camp Democracy, Camp Casey III has wound down.

It was just little old me, the security tent folks, and Ray McGovern
of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, and a few dust
devils gracing the sacred ground of CCIII as I took down the Green
Tent Wednesday. Ray, Larry Everest, and Ann Wright had everyone on
the edge of their seats Tuesday night with news of their Bush Crimes
Commission delivery to the White House of formal indictments on
charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity to the Bush
administration.

I had the honor of driving Ray to the Austin airport after breaking
camp. He is a very wise, intelligent, humble, and sweet man. We had
a great talk and a great time rolling down the road -- except for that
nagging Texas heat.

It was an amazing time at Camp Casey III. Everyone pitched in and
received many times over in return of inspiration, information, and
camaraderie. Thanks again to all the Greens from Dallas and Utah and
all over Texas who came to Crawford! Lots of folks came by to ask
questions of us at the Green Tent. Many were excited to hear of
GPTX's upcoming campaign school with John Eder, to see our literature,
and pick up info on Byron de Lear, GPAX, our platform, or the party in
general. On Tuesday night, I got about five minutes of stage time
during the "free speech open mic night." I reminded everyone about
Pat LaMarche's urging that all of us "Run.... Not for the hills, not
for momma, for office." I also urged all the Code Pink folks to find
Tanya Winters of the Travis County Green Party in Austin during their
retreat and her training on citizen lobbying. I didn't have to talk
about the democratic party's failures. Both Hadi Jawad (co-found of
the Peace House) and Cindy Sheehan had taken care of that thoroughly
earlier in the week -- Hadi went so far as to point out that Clinton
killed more Iraqi children than George Bush could ever dream of.

No one really came to us with bitter feelings about 2000 or "vote
splitting" at all. This mirrored my experience petitioning in TX for
ballot access. In fact, one progressive democrat mentioned her
admiration for Ralph Nader when he said to Gore "You beat you." When
she said all her progressive democrat friends were really Greens at
heart, we both bemoaned the mental prison that keeps them voting
democrat. I suggested we brainstorm ways to lead her friends out of
the prison. I think she'll come free too.

Another Great Weekend at Casey

2006-08-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Deanna Taylor and Tom King of Utah came to Camp Casey for the weekend, and we all had a great time. Deanna and Tom became instantly popular around camp as hard-working volunteers, and Tom put his skills as a master electrician to good use. Cindy returned to camp at the end of the weekend. And there were lots of great workshops. The one I enjoyed the most I think was the "Freeway Blogger," named Scarlett. He's gotten famous for posting simple but large and well-executed black-on-white cardboard signs over freeways with slogans like "Osama bin Forgotten" and "The War is a Lie". In fact, I spent last night with him painting signs. No one is doing this work in Austin. Well...that's about to change! We recommend to people to "become the media." Here's our chance!

Last night (Monday night) was simply incredible at Camp Casey. Ray McGovern of the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity arrived, held a two-hour dialogue, and with Ann Wright electrified the crowd speaking about the emerging Bush Crimes Commission, of which he is a member. This commission is exploring a full, legal, fact-based, well-researched indictment of the Bush Administration for war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined by international law.

Today (Tuesday), Cindy Sheehan is off to the hospital for surgery, which she needs to correct the health problems she's been having. Our thoughts and hearts are, of course, with her!

This coming weekend (actually beginning today) a Code Pink retreat will be taking place in Austin, and there is very little chance that Cindy will be returning to Crawford before Camp Democracy in Washington, DC, opens. Therefore, I'll be taking down the Green Tent tomorrow here at Camp Casey and heading back into Austin to help organize that event and spend some time with my sisters in Code Pink.

Saturday Without Cindy

2006-08-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Back in Crawford now. Today Joy Glatz, Marion Avolos and some other Dallas Greens came in. When I arrived around noon, they had already set up the Green Party table and put out not only all the Travis County stuff but the Dallas county stuff as well. I hung out with them for a while and then met some new people in the tent. One was Grant Collins, an Iraq vet against the war who's moving back to Austin in December who wants to get involved with the Green Party.

Cindy was not with us today. She is having some health problems related to her aggressive schedule and her fast. She's just returned from Jordan and is in a clinic somewhere. The word is she may be able to join us tomorrow.

After some lunch, I boarded a shuttle van with Marion to join a protest at one of the secret service checkpoints into the ranch. We arrived about 2:30 and stayed about three hours. We set up in some shade across the street from the secret service agents. Eventually one came across the road and struck up a friendly conversation about the weather but also wanted to know what "groups" or "organizations" were present. I reported that it was the Camp Casey people, the Green Party, Code Pink, and Iraq Veterans Against the War. Aside from this, the law enforcement there left us completely alone. One reporter from the Temple, Killeen, Waco affiliate showed up and interviewed Marion and me (only Greens!). We, of course, were proudly wearing our GP buttons.

The reporter asked what we were doing there. I replied, basically, protesting the war, standing beside Cindy, etc. He then asked how the putting on of a barbecue at Camp Casey squared with the fast going on. I replied that those participating in the fast were abstaining from the food available at the camp.

At 5:30 we went back to camp for some music and dinner and hanging out at the Green Party table.

Handouts

2006-08-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

Last night I got an e-mail from an organizer at Casey with handbills to hand out. I ran them off at Kinko's and distributed to the usual coffeehouse circuit. Hopefully, I'll be able to hand out more today as I get ready to go up tomorrow.

In Austin for a Couple of Days

2006-08-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Back in Austin today trying to recruit carpenters to go to Crawford and build crosses for Arlington West. Will return to Crawford Friday or Saturday. I'm also coordinating rides for folks that want to go out from Austin.

Camp Casey III

2006-08-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

Arrived at the Crawford Peace House about 3:00 and met a woman called Martha on the porch. We had a nice talk about Code Pink some Green Party candidates around the country and, of course, Cindy and the Gold Star Families for Peace. After that I went inside and connected with Debbie Russell of Austin and CodePink -- a great activist anyone reading this blog should meet! I met some other travelers in for a day or a week. As usual there was a warm friendly feeling around the house.

After a little cool water, I drove the 3/4 of a mile up the road to Camp Casey III -- a roughly seven acre plot owned now by Cindy Sheehan. The plot had been recently cleared for the summer's activities. Spots for parking, a cleared area for the "big tent" coming later in the week and a few groves of trees for camping. Pulling down past the a rainbow banner in the row of tents that reads "PACE", I picked out a morning-shaded spot and set up my 4-person blue Sierra Designs tent, slapped a couple of Green Party stickers on the sides, and tied up the Travis County Green Party 7' x 3' banner between two trees outside the door of the tent. The text is white on dark green and "Green Party" is of course much larger in print than "Travis County," so from even a few steps away, all you see legibly is "Green Party." Hopefully some GPUS yard signs, or GPAX or GPTX stuff will come in to replace the Travis County banner. In the tent I put my queen size air mattress and its air pump, our county party card table, and a few boxes of literature and t-shirts for later use by me or other Greens who might be there while I'm away.

Except for Sheryl (sp?), the gatekeeper, the camp was almost completely empty aside from some pop-tents, some camping tents in "tent row" (my name), and of course, a few hundred wooden crosses set up in honor of fallen American troops in Iraq. A large banner with outlines of Iraq and the US, the number of Iraq civilians and US troops killed had large-letter writing asking "For What Noble Cause?"

Then I headed back down to the Peace House and coordinated with the staff there about picking someone up Friday night in Austin to come out to Crawford. After a cup of coffee and watch Wolf Blitzer going over the latest depressing news from the middle east, almost everyone headed back up to Camp III for an organizational meeting. In all about 30 people attended. We discussed many things after introducing ourselves.

There is an immediate need for carpenters to help build the wooden crosses for the memorial cemetery at Camp Casey. If anyone can help, please come up!
On Saturday, there will be a barbecue from 12 to 2 PM to which all the neighbors are invited.
Also on Saturday, everyone is encouraged to give blood at a local red cross station. Details are at the Peace House (crawfordpeacehouse.org).
There are other Big Announcements coming soon, so stay tuned.

After the meeting I talked to several folks from Austin about getting an many people into Camp III for this weekend. One other PAXer I know of is flying in, and some of the Dallas County Greens are coming in. I'm coming back Saturday, so the GPUS will have a good showing this weekend, the last weekend Bush is going to be in town before the end of the month.