Writings My Affair with George Bush April 10, 2003 I had a dream a couple of nights ago that I had become friends with George Bush.  He had in fact developed a liking for me, and while I wasn't interested, I was overwhelmed by the weight of having gained the attention of George Bush, and that if I was careful, I might be able to influence him in some way.  I had not yet broken to him that I was against the war, and spent a while just gaining his trust and becoming closer friends.  At one point, we attended a dinner party, and my mother was present.  She noticed his attention and gave me a whopper of a look-- like wow, girl, this guy would actually listen to you!  I knew what she meant-- I felt a weight of caution and brevity because I knew that every word could have a profound influence on him.  He was quite a shy person in the dream.   I finally found a way to let him know how I felt about the war by talking about how much I missed that in Berlin every block at least has a peace banner.  (On my street corner alone, three out of the four corner apartment buildings have hung white sheets out their windows.  We put out five, and then the apartment above us followed suit the next day.  Even the internet cafe I'm sitting in has a white dove on the door as you enter. ) Anyway,  I told Bush how in the U.S. where people really could have an influence, I instead saw pleas to join the army everywhere, and as I was saying this, I started crying.  Later in the dream, he started to open up to me too-- how he felt pain about what was going on, but that he felt trapped.  He also said that he was having serious problems with Rumsfeld and that he hoped the press hadn't found out.  Ironically, the very next day (the day Baghdad fell) the BBC World Service had a story about how the US state department and the pentagon had become bogged down in petty bickering and were unable to agree on even basic policies. All this pertains I suppose to a letter I wrote a little while back but that got lost by hotmail.  As long as we continue to view Bush as evil, the more impossible it will be for him to do the right thing.  I know this seems impossible.  I know it.  But we have to keep it firmly in our minds that Bush made a mistake-- plain and simple.  A horrible, grave, huge, whoper of a mistake.  And the only way for him to possibly remedy this is by humbling himself to the Arab nations and the U.N. immediately and saying-- look. "I was acting under false advisement.  I want to do the right thing, and I don't want any more violence.  Help me to bring order and peace to Iraq."  You may think this is impossible, but realize that you thinking this is impossible will reinforce its impossibility.  We need to act now, in our hearts and minds, and BELIEVE and speak, and love, and communicate forgiveness, and compassion...  And right action.  We CAN believe that he will hand this mess over to the international community, and we MUST believe that he will.  Anything short of this will alienate ourselves from him and all his supporters.  It's time for us to become like skilled radio correspondents.  Find out what our neighbors think-- we're not here to preach.   We're here to find a collective truth.  We're here to forge an agreement with one another on what the right course of action is.   Seek out the people who disagree with you and talk with them.  If they are hostile, take notes.  Make them think and define exactly how hostile they are.  "So how many people do you think we should kill before you'll feel safe?"  And never forget that we all want the same thing-- freedom from senseless death and violence.  Killers almost always kill because of rage about someone else who was killed.  Am I right?  Compassion is the only way to stop this cycle.  And that means especially compassion towards your enemies.        O.K. One more story.  I heard a BBC interview an African American minister`s family in South Carolina who had just lost their 19 year old son in Iraq.  The mother said that in the last phone conversation with her son, he had told her, "It's so beautiful here!  I'm so glad I came! Do you know the people here live even better than they do at home!"  Sort of makes you think.  This message was broadcast to nearly every nation in the world, and probably translated into Arabic and Spanish.  The father later talked about how he was at first angry about his son's death since the family didn't agree with the war, but that he was growing to accept it because "God doesn't make mistakes."  OK, 'opiate of the masses' aside, at least this boy didn't die without his message broadcasting to one heck of a lot of people.  think compassion y'all,  kindred Permanent Marker Protests March 25, 2003   I found myself in the middle of Times Square yesterday when the bombing began.  I had nothing with me except for my sketchbook and a single Sharpie pen.  Feeling the need to express my feelings, I began to engage in small protests using only those things that I had with me.  The list is small, but the actions have all illicited smiles, thumbs ups, nods, and more than anything, helped me to enter into a sort of creative state of tranquility.  I have begun looking at the world as a canvas and instead of feeling frustrated, being open to small, subtle opportunities of protest as I walk around the bustling streets.  Here are a few legal "Sharpie protest" ideas based on what I did.    1.  Purchase the most offensive tabloid newspaper available. (example; New York Post) Write "propaganda" on it, (or if you're inspired, write "lies" throughout the entire paper) and then return it to the stand where you bought it... or leave it on a subway bench or busstop.   2.  Write "COMPASSION" on a piece of paper, and stand on a busy street corner holding the sign up to passing traffic. (you'd be surprised at the number of nods and smiles)    3. Write a message on the back of a business card and tuck the business card in billboards, busstops, subways, or other public places around town.  Sample Message:  "Bush is lying."   4. Write messages on city fliers, posters, or any loose paper you see around town-- or if inspired, post your own.  Sample message: "Why are we at war?"   5. When watching television in public places, talk out loud.  Say, "Is it really worth it?" when you see people being beaten up in anti-American demonstrations. or say, "I wonder if the Iraqi people get gas masks too" when the media is droning on about military protection suits.   6. Walk up to strangers, and ask politely "Excuse me, do you happen to know why we're at war?" (you'd be surprised the number of people who say they have no idea)   7. If you have something inside you need to say, say it-- LOUD.  --even if it's to a crowd of strangers, or a busy street.  You can't get arrested for speaking the truth.  Sample messages:  "Can somebody here please tell me why we're at war?", or "Stop George Bush"  (I actually shouted a few ruder ones than that, but I'm making this the G-rated version).  The best way to fight oppression is to pretend it isn't there. (Übersetzung Yvette Loba)