REAL TERRORISTS- Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld

Since, last October activists have been gathering every Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. to question the U.S.'s response to 9-11 and the "War on Terrorism." With many colorful banners, signs, props, chairs, tables laden with hand-outs, books, cookies, and home-made bread-rolls, people are invited to take materials, including food and asked if they have time to answer three questions-

"What do you think/feel about the events of September 11th and the U.S. government's response?

How could we "defuse" terrorism?

How could we create a safer, better world for our children, all children?

The responses have varied dramatically, but far less than 80% support president Bush's actions, the bombing of Afghanistan. While many people don't know what the "correct" response should have been, and can't imagine even the possibility of "defusing" let alone eliminating terrorism, there have been some truly creative, brilliant insights, and suggestions to get at the root of the problems which plague the world.

Sponsored by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the numbers of activists has varied from week to week, ranging from one to ten, usually four to five regulars come, some to ask questions, listen and record responses, others to hand out leaflets and engage in the discussions.

Last year, a beautiful benign banner was hung from tree and lamppost which said "One Earth, One People, One Love - Alice Walker with an image of a circle of people holding hands around the planet with a heart imposed upon it. The other side said- "One Air, One Water, One Hope, Respect All Life." The banner was lost in the January protests against the World Economic Forum in New York, to be replaced by a new one with the theme of the World Social Forum- "Another World is Possible."

In January the activists, along with other groups and individuals marched on Senator Feinstein's office in San Francisco to Demand a Congressional Inquiry of 9-11. The local folks also marched on Congresswoman Eshoo's office (which is a few blocks from Lytton Plaza) to voice the same demand. Shortly afterwards, Bush and Cheny asked that the Inquiry be limited to the joint Senate/House Intelligence Oversight Committee and be staffed by outside help- notably Britt Snider, ex- CIA Inspector General and close friend and General Counsel of George Tenet, current CIA Director, which prompted a new banner-

Allowing Ex-CIA Snider

to investigate 9-11

is like allowing Ex-CEO Lay

to investigate Enron

but it was after Michael Ruppert's talk in San Francisco that the more provocative side was painted-

REAL TERRORISTS-

Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld...

GUILTY of 9-11 You ask why?

Drugs, Oil, Power How?

http://www.tenc.net

When this particular banner was hung in Palo Alto, the police kindly informed us that there had been a couple of complaints and that it was illegal to hang banners from trees or light fixtures in Palo Alto.

Obviously, it was "the message," not the banners that were the problem with the police department. I had a similar experience at nearby Stanford University where the security person threatened to arrest me when the banner was on display and I was handing out my "Questioning the War on Terrorism" flyers. For a while I did not hang the banner in Palo Alto, for fear that I wouldn't be able to hang any of the banners. Then I met an ex-Public Defender who offered to where a suit and speak with the Chief of Police to defend my First Amendment Rights.

I was so frustrated by the lack of media coverage, both in the mainstream AND the supposedly "alternative/left/progressive" news looking critically at the "official government corporate version of what happened on September 11th" that I started hanging it in downtown Palo Alto again, but both police and media decided to ignore us.

New banners are added, as time marches on, and new issues crop up. I remember what Gandhi said, "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win."