Columbus troopsoutnow.com report

Dec. 1 was the 50th anniversary of Rosa Parks arrest whose courageous actions sparked an entire civil rights movement.   Columbus joined cities nationally speaking out against current events to commemorate Park's half century ago arrest. Over 5,000 people saw or heard the seed message of needing a new movement to turn the country around.  It's hoped the words bloom in the listener's life, producing a harvest of activism.

Three events took place..a two hour march downtown around lunchtime, a three hour rally at the statehouse from 3 to 6 pm, and a 7-9 pm candlelight vigil.  At the march, over 2,000 people actively listened and supported what was said, many stopping to listen or rolling down windows while at the  light. Some lingered, concurred, thanked us, or returned to the protest. Throughout the day, we received many car honks, thumbs up, and personal stories of hardships.

The eight speakers at the protest were told that they spoke with great passion, compassion, and knowledge. The local activists, who spoke their hearts and shared extensive research, incorporated a  great numbers of facts, quotes, topics, and connections into the eight hours of events which came about as a response to Katrina. Many topics were addressed- poverty, racism, war, living wage jobs, hunger, homelessness, universal health care, justice for Katrina evacuees, cutting the war budget, not health care, housing, hunger programs, veterans benefits, education, child care and support enforcement.  The 57,000 voting irregularities in 2004, Ohio vote fraud, fraudulent recount, and Blackwell (see freepress. org and the Conyers report "preserving Democracy-what went wrong in Ohio", and fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com), electronic voting machines, media monopolies, political corruption, depleted uranium weapons, torture, courage, activism were covered.  Big box stores, especially Walmart's, and their connection to outsourcing jobs and exploitation, corporate welfare/personhood, the environment,   lobbyists, and the power we have enmass of our money were mentioned.  We informed while also demonstrating a growing number of people are being more visable and vocal about the alarm, sadness, and anger we feel about  the downturn our country is taking,  in order to encourage more activism.

As a two year activist, I'd never organized a protest and had essentially no knowledge of how to do so, but I had a desire and that saw the event come to fruition despite inexperience and essentially solitary effort in bringing it about. On Dec. 1st, 16 people took a stand in their courage, activism, speeches, and personhood, giving their time and talents on behalf of others and to remind people that a growing number of people are angered, alarmed, and saddened by the downturn our country is taking.

Safer?  No, Katrina showed that and decisions made are and will lead to more terrorism and hatred for the U.S.  Patriotic?   torture,taking away civil rights, propaganda, spying, stealing, election betray them.  Godly?   Moral?  All religions  and human decency standards point to love and what love is there in D.U., environmental destruction, homelessness, hunger, and uneducated, sick, dying people.

In December, Congress passed  70 billion in tax cuts to the wealthy while cutting 50 billion in programs for the poor/middle classes to offset them. It is unjust if military recruiters disproportionately go into poor areas, while cutting programs to entice and solve recruitment problems. The rich sacrifice nothing while the poor/middle classes fight the wars and finance them  via essential program cuts.  Yet if Walmart's, for example, gave one year of its $900,000 an hour tax cuts, we could give SSI checks for one year to 1.15 billion disabled people.  Congress decides Walmarts is more worthy, important, and deserving of help than poor, disabled people struggling in life.  This is another example of how congress represents corporations and not the people.  Shame on you, Senators and Congresspeople!

The poor and middle classes have long struggled from the back of the economic bus, but never more visably. The back of the bus is no longer acceptable on jobs, health care, education, housing, war, etc. It's time to stop the favortism of the richest, making them pay their share.  If the poor can give up their lives in war, the least the rich can do is give up some of their money.  For these "moral, godly"ones should recall "if you favor the rich over the poor, you are committing a sin".."for how can you say you follow Jesus if you favor some people over others." (James 2)  Who is more blatent on that than Bush?

Too many are suffering in this land and worldwide to cater to the few...those wealthy people and corporations who regardless of which party controls always gets theirs.  It's time for the many to say no more to the few.  We refuse to let this injustice continue another day as Rosa Parks did in 1955.  Money for them, the minority, but not for the majority of Americans and for those fighting wars and struggling and  sacricing greatly due to the cuts is wrong.

As Parks did, we refuse to let injustices continue any longer; refuse to give up our seat and stand in the shakey aisle falling and getting hurt while the strong and stable take from us what is ours--day in and day out--our country, our good name, our compassion, our civil rights.  We need a new driver because we are headed off a cliff.

We are the generation destined to save ourselves, others and the land we love from those who sit, as in Atlanta, so long ago reading the paper, comfy and unconcerned as those around them are tumbling and falling all around them, relegated to the back of the social heirarchy and economic bus. They never look up from the seat of their own interests. The bus could run us over and they wouldn't bat an eye.

We must spark a new movement...one heart and ripple at a time adding the pebbles of our time, voice, and talent to increase the strength of the waves sweeping across our land till they cover the rooftops of greed and corruption ruining our country. We will be heard above their selfish greed and endless desire for money as we have right on our side.

In Nazi Germany, when the trains would roll by carrying people to the concentration camps, churches turned up the music louder to drown out the cries of those within the railroad cars. We cannot be silent or distracted in ignoring the suffering all around and the deterioration and things happening within our country.  To do so opens us up to greater suffering and decline as well as damaging the humanity and nobility within us.  If ever there was a time to put activism on the front burner and get involved with some of the many issues facing us as a community and nation, it is now.  Make a decision today to work as hard as possible.  Perhaps we should also start a monthly protest downtown to increase our visibility speaking to people and handing out websites and ways to get involved to increase our numbers.

We also addressed false versus real Christianity at the protest and how Christianity is bering corrupted and highjacked from the liberal words of Jesus by Christian right leaders and modern day Pharasees who mislead people for their own agenda claiming it is sanctioned by God and ignoring the poor Jesus spoke of so often.

Interestingly someone gave me a Bible quote when I was speaking addressing poverty, Bush, so-called religious leaders etc.  It was Ezechial 22:25-31; my translation literally said "they harm innocent people for profit.  They make widows out of women (war, depleted uranium, lack of health care, etc); plot secret plans like a lion their prey", etc.  It also stated (and I'm talking to you Pat-let's assassinate good men-Robinson, James-I am so intolerant- Dobson, and Rod-give me more money-Parsley) that "they claim God speaks to them when he hasn't said a word to them,"  It was so on target I was amazed.  The verse concluded that they would be harshly punished for hurting the poor, etc.

Don't hear that verse from them, or the liberal words of Jesus to help the least among us-the hungry, sick, prisoners, homeless or blessed are the peacemakers, look to the beam in your own eye, don't judge, love and pray for your enemies. Also  if someone ask for your coat give them your hat, too (social justice and not throwing fatherless kids off welfare so their moms can work two or more jobs at poverty wages),  forgiving debts every seven years, trusting God to protect you (not FEMA and homeland security, etc.) and praying for and loving your enemies (not spreading the equivalent of 1/4 million Nagasaki bombs of D.U. to sicken, deform, and kill them {not to mention innocent civilians, neighboring countries (spread to 15 countries), future generations (for 4 1/2 billion years), other species, and our own troops}.

Never hear Dobson, Robertson, or Parsley talking about that stuff.  Oh, I take that back..Parsley did address poverty, he said "we fix the problem by removing most of the restrictions on businesses so we reduce outsourcing."  Yes, Rod, how very compassionate of you to be looking out for the poor (and holding onto their money for them as well...camels and needles ring a bell?)

Speakers included Bruce, Jane, Barry, Victoria, Diana, Margie, a pastor, and a Viet Nam vet who showed up with a trambourine. Eight other wonderful people showed up with drum and signs and their personhood to stand up against all the ills taking place.   We are the builders of the movement itself using simple tools-a trambourine, drum, loud speakers, and signs- to build a new house of prosperity and justice and freedom. We encourage other builders to join us and I thank the activists there, all who helped in any way from prayers, giving contact information or aid, and the people who listened with open hearts.  Only two people had negative comments.

As in Katrina, we have wallowed in the filth too long, thirsted for justice, hungered for love, stood in the stinking water of their corruption and greed that threantened to drown us as they, the true looters, stole our nation, wealth, and heritage. If Katrina, D.U., death, war, poverty, etc. don't move you away from apathy, I don't know what will!   Now is the time to rebuild.

We must be the Rosa Parks of our generation, speaking out against wrong and injustice, for JFK said "each of us can work to change a small portion of events and in the total of those actions will be written the history of this generation." Our children, world, and suffering people are depending on you.  Please get involved in political activism and aiding the hungry, homeless, sick, etc. (call 1st link).  Work on issues most important to you, while also joining together in a new movement towards peace, prosperity, justice, etc. to take our country back.  Progressive Columbus calendar's of events are found at freepress.org and cpanews.org. Find a cause and participate.

We concluded with a candlelight vigil/talking segment on the westside  Department of Human Services (symbolic of poverty) continuing to Broad and Wilson. Only three people reached a thousand, at a very long traffic light; nearly everyone rolled down their windows, actively listening.  Many honked and gave signs of support.

You can make a difference if you will to do so. Rosa Parks sparked a civil rights movement, Cindy Sheeham candlelight vigils throughout the country, Barbara Boxer was the only senator with the courage to sign the election challenge making history, and Bob Fratrakis (and others) got Ohio's election fraud all the way to congress.   Their actions-motivated by bravery, a sense of injusticve, an outrage, and a compassion for others-had immense effects, One never knows if one's message will reach a similar mover and shaker, but whether one's actions and its results be large or small, together we will overcome!