The American People Rally and March against War in Iraq - Washington DC - January 27, 2007

Click button to view slideshow      Click here:  

Note: Slideshow window opens up full-screen.

Photos taken by Ron Pulcer on January 27th, 2007.
Copyright Ronald Pulcer © 2007


Note: ... this just in ... someone sent me this link to another slideshow.  Can you guess who these people are?

I attended the Rally and March on Saturday, January 27th in our nation's capitol to protest not just the War in Iraq, but the mismanagement of this war by our national leaders.  My reasons for coming to Washington DC included concern for a cousin's oldest son in the Army, and my two nephews of high school age.  I traveled by bus along with 57 other Vermonters, many of them students.  We joined up with a total of six (6) buses from the State of Vermont.  Although we may have been relatively small in number, it was a good showing for such a small and sparsely populated state.  When we left Vermont on Friday night, the temperature was just below zero.  However, we able to enjoy the relatively warm weather in DC; high was 51 degrees.  When we passed a group from Florida on the Mall, I heard one person mention that it was "cold up here", and I shared a laugh with those Floridians who braved the cold to come to DC.

The national media tended to focus on "celebrity", including the fact that Jane Fonda (Hanoi Jane) spoke at the rally.  Who cares?  (Another excuse for others to downplay the entire event.)  After I arrived home at 5AM on Sunday, I found the story in my local paper (Rutland Herald) from the Associated Press with the headline, "Celebrities, activists protest war in Iraq".  The article mentions Jane Fonda and Sean Penn, and on the jump page, there was a picture of ... Jane and Sean.  But I did not see any pictures of the thousands of Americans who came by car, bus, and plane (I spoke with a Montana man who flew to DC). 

But, luckily I brought along my digital camera that I got for Christmas.  I began by taking pictures of Vermonters with their signs, who later walked around the reflecting pool near the Capitol before the rally started.  Many reporters and photographers in the media chose to sit in the bleachers near the stage to get a view of the speakers; activists, ministers, politicians, and yes, celebrities.  I call the media's bleacher section the "Green Zone", since they could get their stories without actually having to walk around and talk with folks on the Mall.  I only saw one reporter wandering in the crowd with the American People to get their stories and concerns; Maureen Fiedler, a radio show host of Interfaith Voices (www.interfaithradio.org).  After speaking briefly with Maureen, I wandered around the Mall, taking pictures of the American People gathered together, and their signage. 

I also spoke with several people along the way.  As if by Divine Providence, I met several people from my home state of Michigan.  In fact, one of the first Vermont travelers I met from the Upper Valley grew up in Lansing, MI.  Later in the day, the Vietnam Veteran I met (also from Lansing, MI) grew up in Haslett, where I lived for 10 years.  I met a UM college professor from Ann Arbor, MI. After the rally, as we waited to be corralled towards the beginning of the march route, I spoke with a women from St. Clair Shores, MI (my hometown).

As we inched towards the start of the march route, I slowly turned around and I raised my camera above my head to take 360 degrees of pictures of marchers and their signs.  At that point, I had no idea of what pictures I was taking, but they proved to be interesting.  A person in a tree with their sign.  Other signs with various messages from the American People to their leaders.  Or, at least to one another (we are not alone in our feelings about the War in Iraq).  In the background, is seen the rather long "Fund Operation Homecoming" Caterpillar, being carried overhead by what must be at least 30 people, inching along.  The Homecoming Caterpillar later makes a return in photos farther along the route.  The topic of War in Iraq is a serious one, and people are clearly frustated about the situation America finds itself in.  But I did witness the creativity of Americans, in the signs and messages they conveyed.  Freedom of Speech is alive and well, even if the media chooses to ignore it.

Within a week of the DC Rally, we've heard the story of the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" bomb scare in Boston.  It was certainly news for the Bostonians who had to deal with this silly marketing gimmick gone awry.  However, the fact that this TV show received more media coverage and publicity than the protesters and marchers in Washington, DC, is a sad reflection on the American media.  So while the American media missed much of this story, I hope to give at least a small view of what transpired in DC on January 27th.  Honestly, I did not pay too much attention to the speakers on the stage.  I was having too much fun seeing and talking with Vermonters, Michiganders, and other fellow Americans on the Mall, and enjoying the sunny weather.

Please pass the link to this page and slide show along to your friends.  I hope that other people who were in Washington DC last weekend will also post their photos for the American People to see.

Peace,
Ron

p.s. Note: ... this just in ... someone sent me this link to another slideshow... As a skier and a guitar player, I was struck by the photos and music (a song from my high school days).  The skiiers and ski resort shown are "not" from Vermont.

Can you guess which country they are from? 

It makes you realize that we are 1) Children of God (not Kids of the Government), and 2) countries are made up of People.  The politicians are "supposed" to represent the People ... but they don't always do that ... which is why the American People and the People of this "mystery country" BOTH recently voted, and BOTH gave electoral upsets to the parties of the misleaders.


p.s.s. Even if you don't agree with my views on the War in Iraq, you can at least appreciate the HTML and Javascript programming ...
that's my plug for the Marlboro Graduate Center in Brattleboro (gradcenter.marlboro.edu).