I have just returned from two weeks of expressing dissent to the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties.  My activities, along with those of thousands of other peaceful protesters was aimed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.  As a candidate who is committed to peace and ending war, I hold both major parties accountable for the hundreds of billions of our taxpayer dollars which have been wasted on war and the senseless killing which has taken place in the name of my alleged freedom.  As a citizen, I am outraged at the continuation of policies which have taken the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqis and I hold the leadership of both major parties responsible for this state of affairs.

What I encountered in Denver and especially in St. Paul has shaken the faith of my belief in government.  I have always believed that the role of protest was crucial to the American dialogue, and that dissent was tolerated in this country, although not always supported.  I understand the resistance to change and the fear that dissenters create in the general public.  We have always been only marginally tolerated, from the times of the American revolution to the abolitionists to the suffragists to the unionists, dissenters have always taken risks, but the rewards of their efforts have been to the benefit of all Americans, whether it be the right to vote, the forty hour work week, the end of slavery or the very creation of this country, dissent has always played a fundamental role in the creation of those rights.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, during the week of September 1st-4th the right to protest and peacefully assemble was greatly impinged upon by local, state and federal officials.  It was also greatly diminished in Denver, Colorado but to a lesser extent.  At the Republican National Convention protests I personally witnessed peaceful protesters demonstrating against war being beaten by police, nearly trampled by horses, dispersed with tear gas and concussion grenades, and everywhere treated as dangerous criminals and as a threat to the government.  I participated in a march led by mothers with children in strollers that was blockaded on several occasions by national guard troops in full paramilitary gear.  I witnessed homeless people marching for the right to housing being dispersed by security police in riot gear wearing gas masks and carrying beating sticks that were in excess of two feet long.  I witnessed journalists and legal observers rounded up by the police and detained prior to mass arrests of hundreds.

A government that cannot tolerate the dissent of its citizens is a terrible burden upon freedom and democracy.  The right to dissent plays a healthy, vital role in the national dialogue.  It is only through dissent that we can often see the ugly face of actions which the wealthy and powerful would prefer to remain hidden.  The victims of war deserve to be heard and the rights of the people should not be infringed upon by any force to express their dissent from policies which are morally abhorrent.  It is my sincere hope that I never again witness state, local and federal police and security officials engaging in violent and intimidating gestures against the citizens they are suppose to be protecting and whose rights it is their responsibility to protect.

As a candidate for federal office I do not and will not support such excessive use of force and the wasteful spending of tens of millions of dollars in order to intimidate and suppress dissent.  I will support the active and engaged expression of the concerns of citizens which is the hallmark of the democratic process.

For more information and archival coverage of the DNC and RNC protests please visit:
http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/9

http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2008/8

http://mobilebroadcastnews.com/
http://www.youtube.com/chris4senate

The Montgomery County Democratic party will host a “Democratic Convention Watch Party” on Thursday, August 28 at MCDP headquarters, 534 Madison Street (on the corner of University and Madison street) at 7 p.m.

The public is invited to join the MCDP and Clarksville for Obama in watching Senator Barack Obama accept the nomination as the Democratic candidate for the position of President of the United States of America. This year’s convention is a piece of American history in the making.

The Democratic Party office is now open from 2-5 in the afternoon, and will “hit the ground running” with full time hours as the convention ends, according to MCDP Chairman Gene Lewis.

Plan to watch the convention, and enjoy political discussions, at this celebration. Refreshments will be served. The Democratic Headquarters is handicapped accessible. For additional information please call (931) 378-1999. RSVP at http://my.barackobama.com

Gene Lewis stands outside the MCDP's Madison Street headquarters

Montgomery County Democratic Party members were hard at work Monday moving into their Election 2008 headquarters on 534 Madison Street in downtown Clarksville (corner of University Boulevard and Madison Street). A ribbon-cutting ceremony and a “meet and greet” reception, open to the public, will be held tonight at 5 p.m., and refreshments will be served.

Gene Lewis, chairman of the MCDP, said that although the site is officially open, the “real work” will begin as the Democratic Convention winds down. “Once the convention is over, we hit the ground running,” Lewis said.

The bright and bold democratic banner now hangs over the front door, with a second one hung in the lobby of Dem headquarters. Outside, carpenter Jim Hooten, circular saw in hand, was building a ramp that will make the building handicapped accessible for this year’s election.

Carpenter Jim Hooten begins building a ramp that will make MCDP headquarters handicapped accessible for Election 2008.

This location will also serve as the campaign headquarters for Democratic Party Presidential Nominee Barack Obama as well as all candidates running on the Democratic Party ticket. Local and state leaders will be on hand for the ceremony. Even as the process of “moving in and setting up” was underway, a man came in seeking an “Obama” yard sign. Those haven’t arrived yet, but the MCDP already has a sign-up sheet available for those who want to be first on that list. Lewis said that as soon as the signs come in, his volunteers will start calling people to “come and get them.” Those who have signed up have first options on getting the signs.

Gene (on ladder) and Robert Lewis hang on the party's interior signs as they prepare to open the democrats Election 2008 headquarters.

Clarksville for Obama, which in its organizational phase had been meeting independently of the MCDP, will now be located at and meeting in the new Democratic headquarters.

For additional information or questions please contact: Gene Lewis, MCDP Chairman at (931) 801-6209. As the convention sweeps to an end this weekend, the MCDP headquarters will swing into action. the MCDP headquarters phone number is 931-552-5523. Volunteers as always welcome.

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Every four years, the Democratic Party assembles a “platform” that outlines the party’s position on a variety of issues. Traditionally, the platform is written by paid professionals and then presented to the American people. This year, that’s going to change.

On July 24 at the GET Some Coffee Shop 3862 Trenton Rd., starting at 7:00 p.m., Clarksville For Obama will join people all across America will hold Platform Meetings in their own communities. From Atlanta, Georgia to Muncie, Indiana, from Bangor, Maine to Eugene, Oregon, Americans will meet to talk about what issues are most important to them and what should be at the heart of the Democratic platform for change.

The results of these Platform Meetings will be incorporated into the formal process that culminates in the adoption of the platform at the Democratic Convention in August. A few participants may even be invited to appear and testify at the National Hearing and at the Convention.The public is invited to join Clarksville for Obama to work together in making government accountable to the people.

To sign up to be a part of this historical making event please visit this link below:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/platformmeeting/4grm2

For more information on this event and how to get involved with Clarksville for Obama and the Barack Obama campaign please visit www.clarksvilleforobama.com

In an unprecedented move, Democratic candidate for President of the United States Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention next month will continue to open up the political process to the people in the same way he has opened it up throughout this campaign.

On Thursday, August 28th, he is scheduled to formally accept the Democratic nomination in a speech at the convention hall in front of the assembled delegates. Instead, Barack will leave the convention hall and join more than 75,000 people for a huge, free, open-air event where he will deliver his acceptance speech to the American people.

Barack has made it clear that this is your convention, not his. The party decided to hold the final evening’s televised events, including Obama’s nomination acceptance speech, at INVESCO Field at Mile High, the 76,125-seat stadium that is home to the Denver Broncos football team.The additional space enables the party to open the event to a broader audience. Attendance at nominating conventions in generally limited to delegates, elected officials and volunteers.

“This change in the convention program will allow thousands of first-time participants a chance to take part. I can’t think of a better convention finale for our nominee, who has made reaching out to voters a hallmark of his campaign.” ~~ Convention Co-chair Kathleen Sebelius, the Governor of Kansas

Barack Obama, hoping to inject new energy into the Democratic convention, will break with tradition and deliver his first speech as the party’s presidential nominee before an audience of 75,000 people in Denver. Obama’s speech on August 28 will be on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” address in Washington.

Obama is known for drawing huge crowds to many of his speeches. In May, a record 75,000 jammed into a riverside park in Portland, Ore., to hear him speak shortly before that state’s primary. Delegates from the Clarksville-Montgomery County Democratic Party will be on hand to view the history making event.