Delivering the Verdict - Wednesday In Washington

On Wednesday, Sept. 13, I walked with 75 other people to the White House to deliver a verdict of Guilty to the Bush administration. This verdict is the result of nearly a year of work on the part of many people from the Bush Crimes Commission (bushcommission.org) including prominent progressive leaders, a courageous former diplomat and a US Army Colonel as well as some of the people who were the immediate victims of the criminal abuse and negligence perpetrated by the Bush administration, from Iraq to Guantanamo to Katrina and beyond.

At the gate of the White House a remarkable scene played out. The 50 page indictment and verdict was offered to those on the other side of the gate. But the document was refused and we were told that we must send it to the White House by mail. 'How can you refuse us?' asked Ray McGovern, former CIA analyst. 'We are American citizens and you work for us.' It is our constitutional right to present our wishes, demands and judgments to the President who represents us. Ultimately he had to reach through the gate and drop the document on the ground while security personnel, yelping dog on a short leash, and various "inside" press recorded the event with suspicious eyes, video cameras, and cell phones.

Now sign toting citizens began to use their voices. Quickly the sound of protest swelled as the White House washed in chants of "Bush Step Down!" What a rush! The power we have is awesome. It takes so little from so few to get the attention of those who seemed so far away.

Then we moved on. We walked to the Justice Department and delivered our message there. But what if? What if just this small event happened every Wednesday? As we marched through the streets of Washington D.C. holding our signs up to the passing traffic, it was more than a few who honked and gave a thumbs up. They are a flood waiting for one more drop. What if the whole country knew that this demand at the White House would be made for 30 minutes every Wednesday at noon? What if every tourist put this protest on his calendar? What if the crowd did not disappear, but kept coming back week after week after week?

Make your donation at http://www.nion.us/NSOC/sign.htm
Tax deductible donations can be made at http://www.ihcenter.org/groups/nion.html
Or mail your check made out to Not In Our Name, to NION, 305 West Broadway, #199, New York, NY 10013.
Text of the verdict may be downloaded as an Adobe PDF file from www.bushcommission.org

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