State of the Union? Critical

I didn't listen to Bush's State of the Union address. Nope -- I was at the rather vocal World Can't Wait demo, in a pen with hundreds of protestors -- including my friends Gail Harper, Thomas Gallagher, Joan Mendelson, and Colleen Primrose, below Time Square, where fewer tourists could see us, but oh could they hear us! -- with lots of noise and chanting and signs with variations of "Bush Step Down! And take your neo-con cronies with you!"

My sign was pink-rimmed, in honor of my CodePink friends, and simple: Bush Lied, Bush Spied, Bush Must Go.

Not that I could have stomached Bush's speech anyway. I am much better waiting for the critiques. (Too bad the Dems gave such a lack-luster presentation in their follow-up speech -- but at least they got to clap and cheer during Bush's speech when he talked about Congress not passing his Social Security "reform" legislation.)

I would suggest everyone read some alternate speeches and critiques, which include:

• Bush's Simple State of the Union - and the World by David Corn -- published in The Nation (and at CommonDreams.org)



• More Dishonesty from Bush in State of Union written by Matthew Rothschild for The Progressive magazine (also at CommonDreams.org)



• Gore Vidal's State of the Union: "Let the Powers That Be Know There is Something Called We the People of the U.S. and All Sovereignty Rests in Us" -- DemocracyNow.org's Transcript of Gore Vidal's Jan 31st address (also at CommonDreams.org)



• The State of the Union by William Rivers Pitt at TruthOut.org

Both Common Dreams and Truth Out offer alternative media and are worth frequent visits to get the information that the rightist/corporatist so-called "liberal media" don't tell us.

I have some misgivings about World Can't Wait and prefer working with the United for Peace and Justice coalition -- but I was happy World Can't Wait provided people with an important alternative to hearing the Bush lies. There are local actions being planned by various groups for the week of March 15-22 but the next big mobilization event for UFPJ isn't until April 29th, and the world really can't wait. We have to continue action NOW. Let's keep the pressure on the White House and Congress -- and keep talking to our friends about issues other than Jen and Brad and American Idol. These are critical times and we do have to commit to political action.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne