People wonder if we’re afraid we might die from these drones circling over our heads, but you know what, I am not afraid of death anymore. I’ve become familiar with it. Drones in our skies or government clashes are as common as rain or sunshine. Death becomes a daily fact. So no, it’s not that…
by Kathy Kelly Kabul, Afghanistan–The fire in the Chaman e Babrak camp began in Nadiai’s home shortly after noon. She had rushed her son, who had a severe chest infection, to the hospital. She did not know that a gas bottle, used for warmth, was leaking; when the gas connected with a wood burning stove,…
“Empower yourself. Defend America … You will be a soldier.” – Marketing slogan for the “America’s Army” video game at the 2002 annual video game convention in Los Angeles
The Eternal Flame has burned continuously since Jackie Kennedy lit it in Arlington Cemetery on November 25, 1963 during her husband’s state funeral. Today, fifty years to the day after it was lit, hundreds have come to take photos of the flame flickering in a cold breeze, while others stand silently watching flowers laid at…
On the morning of the fourth day of the U.S. government shutdown, Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and hundreds of union and non-union federal workers came to the Capitol to protest. Some traveled from faraway states like South Carolina and Florida, and they represented various departments of the government, such as the U.S. Treasury, IRS, Departments of…
Thursday was the third day of our U.S. Federal Government shutdown protest, which drew far more protestors and media than before. But the peace at our protest ended abruptly at 2:20 pm. I heard sirens and saw six police cruisers chasing a black Infiniti down Pennsylvania Ave. past the reflecting pool towards us. At first…
We returned to the Capitol steps for the second day of the government shutdown. We carried the same signs and spoke the same message, but there were changes from the previous day. Some Capitol Police officers expressed solidarity with our cause, and tourists joined our protest. Both police and tourists are being affected by the shutdown. A Capitol Police guard walked up…
On October 1, the first day of the government shutdown, I joined 50 federal workers in an impromptu all-day protest at the U.S. Capitol. Just hours before, we were indefinitely suspended from our jobs. We reported to work, signed papers acknowledging the furlough and left. We had been preparing for a shutdown for several days,…
At the stroke of midnight on October 1, the workings of the U.S. government will grind to a halt. That is, unless a deeply dysfunctional Congress fuels it with yet another stopgap measure to tide it over for a couple of months. Technically, when the fiscal year runs out on September 30, the government doesn’t…
Sunday marked the return of Occupy Wall Street to New York City as preparations got underway to celebrate its second birthday on September 17. There were free teach-ins at Washington Square Park in many subjects, including the Trans Pacific Partnership, Green Living Principles, Economic and Banking issues, Immigration, Climate Change, and Money In Politics. Several…
The White House Peace Vigil takes up only a little sidewalk space on Pennsylvania Ave. but leaves a big footprint. For 32 years, two six-foot yellow signs with a white tarp between them have warned us about the dangers of nuclear weapons. This iconic statement for disarmament almost came to an end today. In the middle of the…
The Maryland Light Brigade sent President Obama a message half an hour before he delivered his speech last night: “NO WAR ON SYRIA”
