Great read, Sam! Thanks :)

nm

• Interesting article.... - sam
  • Great read, Sam! Thanks :) - nm

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    Monday 19 September 2005

For reasons spelled out below, the poet Sharon Olds has declined to attend the National Book Festival in Washington, which, coincidentally or not, takes place September 24, the day of an antiwar mobilization in the capital. Olds, winner of a National Book Critics Circle Award and professor of creative writing at New York University, was invited along with a number of other writers by First Lady Laura Bush to read from their works. Three years ago artist Jules Feiffer declined to attend the festival's White House breakfast as a protest against the Iraq War (Mr. Feiffer Regrets, November 11, 2002). We suggest that invitees to this year's event consider following their example.
- Editors, The Nation

    Laura Bush
    First Lady
    The White House

    Dear Mrs. Bush,

    I am writing to let you know why I am not able to accept your kind invitation to give a presentation at the National Book Festival on September 24, or to attend your dinner at the Library of Congress or the breakfast at the White House.

    In one way, it's a very appealing invitation. The idea of speaking at a festival attended by 85,000 people is inspiring! The possibility of finding new readers is exciting for a poet in personal terms, and in terms of the desire that poetry serve its constituents - all of us who need the pleasure, and the inner and outer news, it delivers.

    And the concept of a community of readers and writers has long been dear to my heart. As a professor of creative writing in the graduate school of a major university, I have had the chance to be a part of some magnificent outreach writing workshops in which our students have become teachers. Over the years, they have taught in a variety of settings: a women's prison, several New York City public high schools, an oncology ward for children. Our initial program, at a 900-bed state hospital for the severely physically challenged, has been running now for twenty years, creating along the way lasting friendships between young MFA candidates and their students - long-term residents at the hospital who, in their humor, courage and wisdom, become our teachers.

    When you have witnessed someone nonspeaking and almost nonmoving spell out, with a toe, on a big plastic alphabet chart, letter by letter, his new poem, you have experienced, close up, the passion and essentialness of writing. When you have held up a small cardboard alphabet card for a writer who is completely nonspeaking and nonmoving (except for the eyes), and pointed first to the A, then the B, then C, then D, until you get to the first letter of the first word of the first line of the poem she has been composing in her head all week, and she lifts her eyes when that letter is touched to say yes, you feel with a fresh immediacy the human drive for creation, self-expression, accuracy, honesty and wit - and the importance of writing, which celebrates the value of each person's unique story and song.

    So the prospect of a festival of books seemed wonderful to me. I thought of the opportunity to talk about how to start up an outreach program. I thought of the chance to sell some books, sign some books and meet some of the citizens of Washington, DC. I thought that I could try to find a way, even as your guest, with respect, to speak about my deep feeling that we should not have invaded Iraq, and to declare my belief that the wish to invade another culture and another country - with the resultant loss of life and limb for our brave soldiers, and for the noncombatants in their home terrain - did not come out of our democracy but was instead a decision made at the top and forced on the people by distorted language, and by untruths. I hoped to express the fear that we have begun to live in the shadows of tyranny and religious chauvinism - the opposites of the liberty, tolerance and diversity our nation aspires to.

    I tried to see my way clear to attend the festival in order to bear witness - as an American who loves her country and its principles and its writing - against this undeclared and devastating war.

    But I could not face the idea of breaking bread with you. I knew that if I sat down to eat with you, it would feel to me as if I were condoning what I see to be the wild, highhanded actions of the Bush Administration.

    What kept coming to the fore of my mind was that I would be taking food from the hand of the First Lady who represents the Administration that unleashed this war and that wills its continuation, even to the extent of permitting extraordinary rendition: flying people to other countries where they will be tortured for us.

    So many Americans who had felt pride in our country now feel anguish and shame, for the current regime of blood, wounds and fire. I thought of the clean linens at your table, the shining knives and the flames of the candles, and I could not stomach it.

    Sincerely,
    Sharon Olds

to email this guy and tell him so.

http://www.kabc.com/mcintyre/listingsEntry.asp?ID=432586&PT=McIntyre+in+the+Morning

Formed within three days of the September 11th attacks, and officially founded on September 14, 2001 by Ramsey Clark and members of the International Action Center, ANSWER was one of the first organizations formed to protest the policies of the Bush administration in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Its first major action was a September 29, 2001 Anti-War, Anti-Racist political rally and march in Washington, D.C., primarily in protest of the then-impending U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Subsequently the organization has organized rallies drawing crowds in the hundreds of thousands, including several with record-setting numbers of people. ANSWER characterizes itself as anti-imperialist, and its steering committee consists of socialists, Marxists, civil rights advocates, and left-wing progressive organizations from the Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, Filipino, Haitian, and Latin American communities. Many of ANSWER's leaders were members of Workers World Party (WWP) at the time of ANSWER's founding, and are current members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Marxist-Leninist organization that formed in 2004.

in-the-nation's-best-interests job the courts did on the Gore (Nobel prize winner) and Bush (failure in absolutely all business ventures) decision. Clarence still seeking revenge on Anita Hill.  Plus don't forget the Supreme Court justice who just happens to enjoy duck hunting with Cheney.  The guy with a cloud over his head according to Fitzgerald in the Plame case.  Pile in on.

First time in a long time I watched the news and I was pretty amused tonight.  Subject was Barack's trip to Berlin and his speech.  Republican representative said that Obama shouldn't have done it because he's not the president.  They were asked well what about McCain when he went and gave a speech in Canada.  Their response was "Well that was different.  They are Canadians".  He also said it was okay for McCain to give speech to Canadians because Canada is in North America.

When questioned further it actually came out that they (republicans) were upset because the Berlin speech made Obama look good, while McCains biggest highlight of the week was giving in interview in the dairy isle of the grocery store.

They tried to say that Barack was giving a "policy" speech, and when corrected they made up some other lame excuse (that's when it came out that they were upset because having all those people gather for his speech in Berlin made him look good).

Just goes to show you how desperate the republicans are.  They had their chance to pick a better candidate than some old lame, senile guy, but this is who they chose.  Now they are just mad because McCain is looking more feeble, constantly whines, and is constantly mis-speaking and getting the facts wrong (and having to be corrected in public by those closest to him).  Someone said that if he would just stick to issues and not try and attack/belittle Obama every chance he got it might go a little different for him.

I just thought that was quite amusing for a change in the news.

some people can't see beyond their nose and some people don't have the ability to weigh the facts of what is written.

FYI, I have finally made up my mind through reading.

thing about America?  You're entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to mine.

Religious beliefs aren't legislated in a society that claims to respect freedom of religion for all.  If a tourist or other person is murdered in the USA, of course that person is protected from the crime of murder, but reference was being made to the United States Constitution and the word "citizen" was used.  I was merely providing the definition of "citizen" as provided by the Constitution.

Again, the ultimate decision will be between a woman and her creator.  I'm willing to let God do his/her job.  Why aren't you?

that the President and his wife have a date night.  Taking time out for your marriage is very important especially with as busy as you know Obama has to be with everything going on.  I can't knock them for going out. 

However, people are losing jobs left and right, GM filed bankruptcy, Chrysler is in bankruptcy, people are losing homes, etc.  Our country is hurting and although I applaud their date night......they could have done it at little or no expense to the taxpayers.  Obama continues to state that this is a time we all must sacrifice and I have yet to see those in Washington sacrificing.  It is the taxpayers that continue to get screwed.

So take your wife out on a date, Mr. President......but pay for it yourself and save the taxpayers some money for once.....please!!!

I think the folks interviewed regarding Krgzystan (spelling?) definitely drank WAY too much Koolaid.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

I just wanted to share this website with my fellow liberals in case you haven't seen it yet.  Lots of interesting news and hot topics regarding our concerns about the right wing nuts.