Faithful readers might recall that I am wont to cancel classes for a week to go do silly things like work on Presidential campaigns and protest the President I campaigned for. Usually, though, we try to schedule our extracurricular activities around College breaks or summer vacation.
This year Ericka and I were planning a trip back to DC--our first since Mother's Day and, of course, since Sam was born--around the week of March 8th with school out of session. Our big debate was whether we'd be going the first weekend in conjunction with the National Labor For Single-Payer Conference or the following weekend to help set up for Peace of the Action.
That dilemma has now been resolved: I'm going in June instead while Ericka stays home with Sam and the Pack. Spring break for us now will be refocused toward bothering local Congressional staff and making new friends under the Golden Dome in Mount Peculiar. A few months later I'll be attending the NSP/Tikkun National Conference:
Conference to: a. Develop and Promote Constitutional Amendments to Establish that Corporations Are Not Persons and to Require Corporate, Environmental, Ethical and Social Responsiblity b. Support Obama to BE the Obama We Thought We Elected
Co-Sponsored by:
The Nation Magazine, Yes! Magazine, Peace Action, Pace e Bene, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Code Pink, The Institute for Policy Studies, The Shalom Center, Democracy Matters, OpEdNews, The Backbone Campaign, The Metta Center for Nonviolence Education, and 350.org
First of all, a note about item 'b': I know we're getting the Obama we elected, so I'm going to learn how we can support Obama to be the Obama that I wanted him to be, not who I thought he would be, if that makes any sense. A fine distinction, to be sure, but I worked my ass off for him for 3 months despite my reservations about him because in my estimation he was the best option we had available (sorry, Cynthia, you're still my hero).
Anyway, Ericka and I decided it was going to be more valuable for me to attend this conference than the other events for a variety of reasons. The others are important, but since we're limited in time and finances, it seems the biggest bang for our buck will be something more general and not focused on a single issue, where I can learn more about strategy and such that will help me be a little more effective in the full spectrum of peace and justice.
While we wanted to make this a family endeavor, the timing and length of the conference along with other factors--e.g., cost of kenneling the dogs--means my going solo makes the most sense. Looks like I can get away with a low-income registration fee (underemployment rocks), though I'm still going to have to pay for transportation (most likely Amtrak as usual) and I haven't worked out lodging yet (oh, if only the Pink House were still going to be around).
So yeah, you know what's coming next: a fundraiser. I have no monetary goal established as yet, but I'll come up with a number soon and over the next few weeks I'll slowly ramp up my begging until it's a dull roar. In the meantime if you have any spare coin rattling around in a tin can on your kitchen counter, I'd appreciate your throwing some this way if you find any value in this foul-mouthed blogger's attending an activist conference, or the lobbying I do on the Hill, or my getting shot at in the Holy Land, or pictures of Sam or animals or whatever the hell else draws you to this/these blog/s.
ntodd
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