Corny's Corner

I was at the donor check-in desk at the Red Cross. I was watching CNN. The president was about to give a press conference on the war. Of course, he mentioned the Weapons of Mass Destruction. But he also mentioned something that if true, I would have held back from the public. "Besides, Saddam tried to kill my father." This was repeated 3 times by CNN. And then it disappeared. Seemingly forever.

What happened between those months? The war I watched. Shock and Awe. And then the statues of Saddam getting taken down. Even one one statue of Saddam's gonads being blown off by explosives. And the "Mission Accomplished" farce. I really did believe it was all going to be over and we would hear no more about it. But we did.

Soon it was near the end of the summer 2003. I got a call from someone inviting me to the Sun City Democratic Club. I went. There was a woman that was a guest speaker. She talked about Dennis Kucinich. There were some ideas I really liked and a few I disagreed with. What caught my attention was the part about the Patriot act. Press censorship. Just like what I saw with CNN that day before the war started. Democracy was fading.

I thought that getting involved would be my last chance to have my voice heard. I worked, then for the Kucinich campaign. I canvassed in the inner parts of town as I saw more and more Bush stickers show up in Oro Valley itself. I volunteered even to be a delegate for Kucinich if he got enough votes in the presidential preference election. Of course, Kerry's momentum was continues to build at that point. For the most part, our job was done.

I did make many friends during that time. I will introduce you to all of them as we go on. But soon we went to do other things, like protests, crowding around to see Amy Goodman, various fun fests. Things like that.

After that, Jeff Chimene became a canidate for congress pushing a progressive vision. I worked on his campaign. We did cell phone banking from Steve's house on the weekends. We really wanted to give our congressman the business. Jim Kolbe...ugh...Republican and in the closet gay. I will rant some other time. Not to mention the one I will call weasel-boy trying to get the nod for going up against him. Weasel-boy demanded twice that Jeff drop out. Then Eck (Pima Dem Chair) pratically endorses him before the primary. Does he get the Primary? No, and neither does Jeff. It went to a woman with name reconition. But I do forget her name. Ah well.

So, I got my marching orders from the weekend Kerry canvassers. Angry conservatives threatened to call the police for my subversive tatics. Just for walking for Kerry. That is how divided it was...And still is.

Near the end, I got involved in the Stop 200 campaign. I wasn't trusted by the leadership. After all why would a gringo like me what to preserve the rights of Latinos? Of course no one ever asked. I wore my feet out on November 2nd helping those communities get out and vote. Of course, Phoneix always has a bigger say in what is going on so the facist Prop 200 passed by a very wide margin.

So then end of the election brings me to where I am now. I am on the Democratic State committee (that means involvement in my state legislative district as well as a precient committeeman in my precient). I am involved on the state and local level with the Progressive Democrats of America. I continue to be involved with the Sun City Vistoso Democratic club (being the youngest member at 39). I am a subscriber to Sojourners magazine (which is closest to my political convictions as I may get to an organization). Yes, I get e-mails from everyone and have my own mailbox just for political action.

These last two posts are, of course, just a digest.