Santa Claus, Grandmas and Harleys rock, roll, roar through town

By Debbie Boen | September 15, 2007 |

Hundreds of local people gathered to watch and wave as Bikers Who Care cycled by to drop off toys for children at Governor’s Square Mall.

The annual ride through town started after noon and ended around 2 p.m. today after navigating a meandering route along Riverside Drive, Kraft Street, College Street and Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.

Santa Claus, whole families, everybody [it seemed] and their grandma were riding motorcycles through town today in  a seamless, endless flow, much to the delight of people who began gathering late this morning along the route.  And the bikers were cool. «Read the rest of this article»

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National ‘Iraq Moratorium’ on Sept. 21

By Christine Anne Piesyk | September 15, 2007 |

“I hereby make a commitment that on Friday, September 21, 2007, and the third Friday of every subsequent month I will break my daily routine and take some action, by myself or with others, to end the War in Iraq.”

– Iraq Moratorium pledge

Disatisfied with the “progress” in Iraq? With the Iraq War itself? With your legislators? With the trends in public policy? You are not alone ; you are in the company of the famous, infamous and an increasing number of average Americans in cities and towns in all 50 states.

Danny Glover, actor. Coleen Rowley, FBI whistleblower. Noah Chomsky, activist, linguist. Tom Hayden, activist. Eve Ensler, writer. Howard Zinn, historian. Susan Sarandon, activist. The Freeway Blogger. Cindy Sheehan, Goldstar Mother. Jabbar Mcgruder, Iraq veteran.

“Basically I have been so frustrated with the disconnect between the real war and the politicized war that I felt this film would at least acknowledge that war changes people, especially this war. We had a major legacy of suicide and homelessness and heartbreak after Vietnam; why should we repeat it?”

–Susan Sarandon in Newsday

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March on DC: Buses without permits turned back, fined at D.C. border

By Christine Anne Piesyk | September 15, 2007 |

“Has Washington closed its doors to the public?”

A new and little advertised law implemented a month ago was apparently designed to ensure no illegal border crossings into the D.C. city limits by undocumented buses. The immigration of protesters and other mass arrivals of voices of dissent who arrive by motorcoach are being turned back the ‘border’ by vigilant police, park police and homeland security personnel.

Many of the incoming activists are expected to participate in a march to the Capitol and a “die-in” at the Peace monument under shades of the 60s, when tens of thousands of Vietnam protesters gathered in the shadows of the Washington Monument to voice their dissent with the war policies of that era.

On September 15, thousands of Iraq war protesters and peace activists will mobilize in Washington for what is being describe as “not just another war protest” but a massive rally and a week of direct action that includes a “die in,” lobbying, and “truth in recruiting” workshops.

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Pace: The Iraqi Army ‘disintegrated’; Gates: “Avoid appearance of failure”

By Christine Anne Piesyk | September 15, 2007 |

“One of the mistakes I made in my assumptions going in was that the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Army would welcome liberation, that the Iraqi Army, given the opportunity, would stand together for the Iraqi people and be available to them to help serve the new nation.”

– Gen. Peter Pace, on the Iraq War

On Friday, General Pace, outgoing and soon to be retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke publicly Friday about what he termed “mistakes made” at the onset of the Iraq War. Pace clearly admitted the assumption that the Iraqi Army would hold together and fight was wrong.

“They disintegrated in the face of the coalition’s first several weeks of combat, so they weren’t here.”

Pace said that if he had realized this disintegration would happen, he would have increased the number of troops deployed at the outset of the war. Pace said that he would not have escalated deployment of troops at the start of 2006 because he was working under the expectation of building and equipping an Iraqi Army and turning over security duties to it.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, also speaking out on Friday, said all the President’s senior military advisers are in agreement with those recommendations. Gates said the next steps taken by the United States in Iraq:

“… had to avoid even the appearance of American failure.”

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Lamentations: An artist’s view of land before and after the rivers

By Christine Anne Piesyk | September 15, 2007 |

Lamentations, an exhibit of work by artist Beverly Riggins Parker, will open Sunday, September 16, with a reception from 12-4 p.m. at the Stewart County Public Library in Dover, Tennessee.

Pictured above is Beech Roots, Bear Creek, from the collection.

Lamentations, a series of hand-painted Lith photographs is “a pictorial view of communities in Stewart County before and after the acquisition of land for Land Between the Rivers.” The exhibit runs through October 11.

Parker is native of Stewart County. The library is open M-T-Th-F from 8-8, Saturday from 9-3, and is usually closed on Wednesdays and Sundays. Directions: Turn left at the light in Dover, Tennessee (from highway 79) and go about one mile. The library is on the right.

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