I’m Naked
September 07, 2005
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I've only got a few minutes to post, so let me update on last night:
The rally for the Universal Living Wage was a good turnout. About 40-45 people showed up to hold banners, wave signs, pass out leaflets and bumperstickers. At 4:30 on a Texas afternoon, it is searing hot, so the folks at the corner of Riverside and South Lamar really took a beating.
We all traded out holding the banners...we had one in spanish, four in english and one giant banner with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King.
People honked in support, most were talking on their cell phones. One dad rode up on his bike and wanted me to attach a bumper sticker to his son's baby seat, which I happily did. Lily chanted for almost two hours straight; I didn't even have to ask. She was yelling, "1-2-3-4, Universal Wage is what we're fighting for!" She also misted people with her Disney Spray bottle (which I found ironic; don't even get me started on Disney, but, man...that bottle worked good!) iolana was running around handing out cold water bottles to all the volunteers. Then she and some of the other kids would take the empty plastic bottles and were collecting leaves and sticks to create potions. They were cracking me up. I ran out of water about an hour into the event, so I ran across the street and bought 15 more bottles from Taco Cabana. Let me just say this: ALWAYS
bring extra bottles to events....it is expensive to buy water from a fast food restaurant!!!
Mostly, my job was walking to and fro, checking on volunteers, bringing in new folks to change out with people who had been holding signs/banners for awhile. We got there at 4 pm, and the girls helped me carry everything across the street (boxes of posters, the banners, the ice chest, etc.) I had brought two, giant black umbrellas, so while we were waiting for the rally to start, io and Lily set up "tents", with Universal Living Wage placards placed precariously up against the umbrellas. It was pretty cute. I took a pic of them getting set up, and then my camera died. Jon Sullivan was gracious and brought an extra camera so I could document the event. iolana had her first ant bites. I forgot to drink water myself and finally had some around 6 pm. (Wow. I can not imagine going without water for DAYS. I was dehydrated and really, really thirsty after just those few hours.)
Everyone was full of good cheer. We had students, we had ex-veterans (Veterans for Peace), we had hippies, we had homeless people, we had mothers with their children, we had one guy show up with a guitar, we had the Gray Panthers. Sounds like a lot more than 40 people, doesn't it? Well, the vibe was big, the corner was being lifted up by HOPE and FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
Good job, everyone. Thank you, RIchard Troxell, for speaking out on behalf of so many...visit http://www.universallivingwage.org, if you'd like to know more about this great man and what he is working for....
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:08 am
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Peanut Butter and Jam
September 05, 2005
My self-appointed job has been contacting the entertainment...so I've been sending out emails to friends, storytellers, musicians...Now we're trying to come up with a name for the group...
I suggested:
Read-a-Long, Sing-A-Long
Peanut Butter and Jam (We're on a roll! Spreading the love! Sharing music, snacks and stories!)
Austin Children's Musicians Mission
Hand In Hand
Gimme Shelter: Stories and Songs for the Children of the Storm
Keep us in your good thoughts!!!!
Today my family and I delivered bags and bags of clothes, toys, bottled water, some medical supplies, shampoos....Then we went out and bought peanut butter, more bottled water, crayons and markers. We're going to make some art kits to hand out to the children with paper, crayons, markers...
When we drove up to deliver the first van full of items, I was blown away. We went to the Salvation Army, and I almost started bawling. There were piles and piles of mattresses, clothes, chairs, lawnmowers (!!??)...People were driving up and backing in to the loading dock and it was so brilliantly orchestrated. I jumped out of our van and hugged a giant volunteer; he said, "Oh, I'm so sweaty!" and I said, "That's GREAT and thanks for all you are doing! This is amazing! There is so much GOOD!" The sun was shining. The moment felt so HOPE FILLED!!!
You know, there is this movie we have...I can't think of what it is called at this second...an odd little animated piece about dinosaurs and children
(Walter Cronkite and Jay Leno are guest voice artists)...but, what is the sweetest part of the film is when the main little girls says, towards the end, during a scene where something awful is about to happen, she prays out loud, "Let no bad happen!" It has been a mantra in my heart since we heard it; Lance used to say it all the time, and it would bring me comfort, even when he was joking around.
Let no bad happen. Let no more bad happen.
I also want to comment on LEADERSHIP (again.) Who will be the leaders that rise up out of this disaster? I have to believe someone will start to shine, someone that could run for president...someone with heart and intelligence and the ability to get things done. Someone with courage and
experience.
Where were the leaders during the last week? Why weren't more of them helping? I've already ranted on Bush (Jr. ), but what about Hillary Clinton? Why wasn't she there? I'm glad that Harry Connick went down and helped out...on the SECOND DAY. That is what I'm talking about...
Didn't anyone want to hop on a plane and go there and HELP????? Are all the leaders of this country so out of touch????? Don't they WANT to help????
Where are the men like Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"?????????????????????????????? WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE????
posted by Sara Hickman at 02:50 pm
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Grady Is Gone
September 02, 2005
posted by Sara Hickman at 01:44 pm
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Hurricane Katrina Relief
This Christmas Wish
Ready to Pop (contains explicit language)
Faithful Heart
Domestic Science Club
CD Baby has already donated $10,000 to hurricane relief.
posted by Gene Cowan at 08:10 am
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Beyond angry
A good Christian walks the walk.
I'm a person who has made many mistakes, but you know what? I'm going to call you to the mat.
What you have done, and are doing, is wrong. It is, in my opinion, an axis of evil, what you have created with Karl Rove and Dick Cheney.
Jesus didn't watch the lepers from afar, call them "the good folks" of Nazareth and then let them suffer with hope of supplies and relief arriving "any day." No, Jesus went into their midst and TOUCHED THEM WITH HIS HANDS and heart. He heard their cries for help and went to them IMMEDIATELY. He LIVED AMONG THEM.
I find your acts, and those of your administration, to be blatantly racist. Not only against African-AMERICANS, but those living in poverty.
Mr. Bush, this is the journey of a Christian:
To be amongst the SUFFERING, to help others with kindness and change their lives with LOVE and GENEROUSITY. To TAKE ONE'S SHIRT OFF and give it to someone in need. To LAY DOWN one's LIFE for another. And to do it every minute of every day. Not just when it is convenient to your plans.
This was the VOW and OATH you took when you STOLE the leadership of this great nation. To SERVE and PROTECT. Not TAKE AND DENY. Your lies have caused IMMENSE chaos and separation in this country. Your true colors are not red, white and blue. The color betraying you, finally, for ALL to see is yellow.
I am beyond angry. I am pissed off BIG TIME.
While I'm telling you all this, let me say I can NOT believe Condeeleeza Rice isn't speaking up on behalf of Black Americans, women and children, the elderly, the poor. What kind of woman isn't affected to the CORE by this extreme, intense and relentless suffering??? Women nursing need nourishment to nurse; you can not feed a baby from your body when you have nothing to give. There is no greater suffering than to hold a baby in your arms and watch it die. Also, they need diapers and wipes to prevent diaper rash (which can be severe and even kill children if not attended to immediately...); women on their periods need supplies and sanitary conditions.The elderly are DYING in their wheelchairs.
MR. BUSH we don't need you. The people of this nation have a deep and generous heart you will never understand. We took action IMMEDIATELY because we understand suffering and fear. We want to help!!!!!! We have TAKEN ACTION.
You have really SCREWED UP. You could have made this world the place it was meant to be...people caring for people and living a life in peace. After 9-11, you had the GREATEST OPPORTUNITY EVER...EVER!!!... to move forward with LEADERSHIP and you turned it into a self-opportunistic corporate picnic. You have been the pawn, and participant, in the biggest scandal this country will EVER know and endure.
THIS SEEMS FUTILE at the moment with so much suffering and misery, but that is what some of the rich/elite don't get...WE ARE CAPABLE OF RISING UP above our suffering to create the world your money can not buy.
WE WILL NOT GIVE UP. We WILL move forward and be a mass of protest, of anger without violence, and use our ANGER for good, for motivation, for change.
Do not let another minute go by without making the change begin now.
Promote the good you SAY you want to have happen.
Mr. Bush, GET TO WORK RIGHT NOW AND STOP IT. STOP FOOLING AROUND WITH INNOCENT LIVES. THE BLOOD OF A NATION IS ON YOUR HANDS. GET IN THERE AND GET DIRTY, GET BUSY, GET MOVING, GET THE ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION AND ALL THE CONGRESS TO GO WITH YOU AND FEEL THE LOSS WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. HOLD A DYING CHILD AND KNOW YOU COULD HAVE SAVED THAT LIFE. COMFORT THOSE THAT NEED COMFORT. BRING WATER TO THE THIRSTY. BRING ALL YOUR CLOTHES THAT WE, THE TAXPAYERS, HAVE PAID FOR AND GIVE THEM AWAY!!!!!!!!! SHOW THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY WHAT GIVING MEANS!!! BE A LEADER!!!!MOVE MOUNTAINS BECAUSE YOU CAN, BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DO IT. HEAR GOD'S CALLING AND USE IT NOW!!! DO IT! DO IT!!!!!!!
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:01 am
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