Peace¹⁰⁸

Patricia January 14th, 2008

Activism-From a lifelong activist who Walks the Walk and can talk the talk!

Tom’s book is the best solution For Ending The War In Iraq.

I was fortunate to meet Tom Hayden and hear him speak at the Dubrovnik Peace Conference. Tom is a former 18-year member of the California State Legislature; an activist who co-founded Students for a Democratic Society; the author of 13 books and currently teaches at Pitzer College and Occidental College. He’s done some very impressive inner-city work in LA. He’s on the editorial board and a contributing writer of The Nation Magazine.

His topic at the conference was Social Movements Against The Machiavellians was fascinating.

He was sitting on the edge of the stage waiting for things to settle down when I approached him. He asked me What does it take to get started here? I’m an on-time kind of guy! I went to my friend, the conference director Georgia Kelly, and she immediately took the stage and introduced him.

He told us he would need to sit because he had an ear infection and the doctor told him he might fall because his balance was off. At his book signing I told him he should run again, to which he replied, I have already done that!

Tom was at the conference most of the week and sat in the audience at the back and really listened.

By coincidence, I was on the same bus and airplane to Rome with him, his beautiful wife Barbara and his handsome young son. Tom was standing on the bus so I offered him a seat next to me. He had an appointment to get his ear infection treated by a doctor in Rome and was not sure if the flight would be tolerable to his ear…it was! It was his first trip to Italy and I asked he and Barbara if the would like to come to Venice to a preview opening at the Ciprianni Hotel for the artist I was doing public relations for. Barbara had attended The Venice Biennale before and really wanted to go but with Tom’s ailment it was too risky to consider adding more travel to the schedule.

Two things he said that impressed me, especially given his background:

• Don’t worry who is the next president of the US. There are other ways to make change for peace.
• Don’t worry about impeaching George Bush as he is suffering impeachment by a 1000 cuts.

Tom is a thoughtful, wise, calm and very intelligent…a man with a sensible plan that would work for peace…if we get involved.

Tom Hayden has been called “the conscience of the senate”, and credited with “creating the blueprint for the Great Society programs”.

Help End the War in Iraq

Quote: Apply Pressure to these Pillars of the Bush Administration’s policy: If the U.S. cannot be persuaded to accept failure in Iraq, the only strategy for ending the war and occupation is to apply people pressure to the following Pillars of the Bush Administration’s policy:

1. Iraqi Support
2. American Public Opinion
3. American Media
4. Political Support
5. U.S. Military Capacity
6. U.S Financial Capacity
7. Moral Reputation
8. U.S. Global Alliance

(Tom Hayden Ending the War In Iraq)

• Community , Peace