Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
TechnoratiAstounding GrandMamas Recite Founding Papas' Words in New York's Strawberry Fields, July 4
Forsaking picnics and hotdog contests, two staples of New York City July 4 celebrations, area peace grandmothers held a unique holiday event, the Third Annual Reading of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence in beautiful Strawberry Fields. The readings were conducted on a gorgeous day in Yoko Ono's Central Park oasis dedicated to the memory of her husband, John Lennon. It is believed that this celebration is unique in the United States.
More than 100 people attended, many volunteering to read various amendments. Among the readers were 94-year-old Marie Runyon, and 90-year-old Molly Klopot, both members of the legendary Granny Peace Brigade. Marie and Molly were arrested and jailed in October 2005 when they, along with 16 other Brigade women, attempted to enlist in the military at the Times Square recruiting station.
The grannies were on trial for 6 days in Criminal Court, defended successfully by eminent civil liberties and Constitutional scholar, Norman Siegel, who led the ceremonies today. At times, Siegel commented on how some of the amendments were being subverted today, as well as giving interesting background information on the creation of the documents. For instance, he pointed out how Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution specifies that only Congress shall declare war, and yet since the end of World War 2, we've been involved in too many wars not declared by that body in too many places we shouldn't have been and shouldn't now be. He also explained that the 1st Amendment, which guarantees the right of citizens to peaceably assemble has been abused right in Central Park where it is now forbidden to gather in large groups to peacefully protest. He urged the attendees to fight to "take back our park."
Code Pink and Granny Peace Brigade member, Ann Shirazi, reading Article 2 of the Constitution on July 4. Norman Siegel is on the right. (Photo by Masahiro Hosada)
Siegel remarked: "The Constitutional system -- we should try it sometime. If we followed the Constitution, many of our civil rights and civil liberties problems would be substantially reduced."
Other readers included Progressive Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Jonathan Tasini; long-time gay and civil rights activist, Andy Humm; members of the Raging Grannies (who sang some of their satiric songs about contemporary issues); Grandmothers Against the War; Military Families Speak Out; the Gray Panthers; Veterans for Peace, and Code Pink.
"These are the true patriots," remarked Norman Siegel, "The real Red, White and Blue. People who care about the principles on which our nation was founded and want to see them maintained and celebrated."
Joan Wile is the author of "Grandmothers Against the War: Getting Off Our Fannies and Standing Up for Peace"
(Citadel Press, 2008)
14 Comments so far
Show All'' - - the 'ragin' Grannys got off their fannies - ''
THAT IS EXACTLY what the rest of us ought to be doing!
Unless we show up in massive numbers, Obama will end
up as the ''Great Appeaser'' and the ''Great
Turncoat'', betraying all our hopes and aspirations - -
Bring America Back !!!!......!...Thanks CD for this info and article.....never would've know the event ever took place !
**Congrats to the Grannies for their participation, once again , for Peace!
**Yes, peace is a radical concept to the Military- Industrial Complex now running the USA ! Just as was John Lennon and Yoko's messages back in the day of:
"Give Peace a Chance"; "Imagine"; and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters".
**As JIm Glover says in his first post below=='John Lennon was a thorn in Nixon's side !...i.e, Lennon's music inspired many Protests from then the PeaceNiks,
which magnified Nixon's lies that he could end Vietnam if elected.==which of course He dragged on for another 4 long years !!......and 60,000 American dead !
*=And, does this remind us of another War that is now dragging on into it's 7th year ??? Seems we the people just voted to end Iraq, too, as we were promised; now, instead of Nixon we have Obama dragging us on, and on==against all our Wishes!
>>>>>Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing==long time ago....When will they ever learn ? How many more time will Grannies have to remind them
?????????????????????
We need to quit worshipping the Constitution, designed by the rich for the rich, and look anew at the Declaration, especially the 2d paragraph, which every schoolchild needs to memorize.
Statement in the District of Columbia court, 5/24/00
Doris 'Granny D' Haddock
“Your Honor, the old woman who stands before you was arrested for reading the Declaration of Independence in America's Capitol Building...
“The First Amendment to the Constitution, Your Honor, says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, so I cannot imagine what legitimate law I could have broken. We peaceably assembled there, Your Honor, careful to not offend the rights of any other citizen nor interrupt the peaceful enjoyment of their day. The people we met were supportive of what we were saying and I think they--especially the children--were shocked that we would be arrested for such a thoroughly wholesome American activity as respectfully voicing our opinion in our own hall. Any American standing there would have been shocked. For we were a most peaceable assembly, until Trent Lott's and Mitch McConnell's police came in with their bullhorns and their shackles to arrest us. ... I am glad we were only reading from the Declaration of Independence --
“I shudder to think what might have happened had we read from the Bill of Rights.
[...]
“if it is a crime to read the Declaration of Independence in our great hall, then I am guilty.
“Thank you very much.”
My kid of gal...
===
The Judge, constrained by the letter of the law and the ‘guilty’ pleas, handed down a sentence - to time served while in custody.
http://www.grannyd.com/speeches.php?id=56&action=list
The whole statement is worth reading, imho
And I think the judge earned credit too...
Fusion
No one in the U.S. government is following the Constitution when it comes to war powers, habeas corpus, First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, etc.
The Supreme Court violated legal precedent in a national election by stopping the vote count and declaring GW Bush to be President.
Looks like the revolution failed. Now what?
-TIA
Seems that every state and most every town in america should try this.
I celebrate grannies getting off thier fannies.Independance Day inspiration for all of us!
Thankyou ladies you make us proud. peace
"Progressive Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Jonathan Tasini; long-time gay and civil rights activist, Andy Humm; members of the Raging Grannies (who sang some of their satiric songs about contemporary issues); Grandmothers Against the War; Military Families Speak Out; the Gray Panthers; Veterans for Peace, and Code Pink.
"These are the true patriots," remarked Norman Siegel, "The real Red, White and Blue. People who care about the principles on which our nation was founded and want to see them maintained and celebrated."
They certainly are, along with the millions that celebrated in the traditional manner. The important thing is to celebrate our freedom and our unique country.
our freedom? our unique country? this is the militarized nationalist stuff that sounds good that we use as slogans as we slaughter right and left across the earth, quite similar to israeli propaganda....
our freedom? our unique country? read the new articles by c.hedges and t. hartmann on cd....
You are beautiful and I am grateful for your dedication to justice and peace. Keep up the good work.
These grannies know what the real 4th of July is supposed to about, and it hot dogs, beer, apple pie, and the girl next door.
AD
Editorial correction-- "and it's not hot dogs, beer, apple pie, and the girl next door."
AD
If I still lived in NY, I wouldn't have missed it.
I didn't know Stawberry Fields was really a place.
John Lennon was a thorn in Nixon's plans.
We are all thorns now. And we'll be free someday.