40 Days and 40 Nights
We made it!
We gathered at the National Arboretum under a blue cloudless sky with temperatures in the 50s. I like writing that. The weather was freezing at the start, snowy into Massachusetts and Connecticut and cloudy and rainy from New York southward but let up for today, our last day of the March and of this phase of the journey.
After having taken three days off schedule for a family emergency and for personal business, it took exactly 40 days and 40 nights to make it from Faneuil Hall in Boston to the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
There were about 20 people at the outset and the number grew at Union Station and again at the final rally point across the street from the Archives. About 50 people turned out. I was surprised at the number of states represented. At least one person came from: New Mexico, California, Ohio, Maine, Vermont, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, plus D.C. The best surprise, though, was Allyson’s arrival in the middle of the night. She was hours away on business in Burlington, VT but managed to finish her work there and drive all the way south to catch a late flight out of Hartford, CT that took her through Cincinnati to National Airport in D.C. We were delighted she was able to share this last segment.
Sue Serpa, the coordinator of the Northeast Impeachment Coalition brought the Preamble to the Constitution, written on a canvas sheet that must have been 20 feet by 40 feet, that has been signed by hundreds if not thousands of people. Everyone added their mark before we headed off. It was very generous of Sue to arrange it for us. And it was most fitting since after the rally we would see the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
Thinking about the meaning of those documents and what it took for 13 small colonies, and then states to agree to write and defend them, was again to be reminded that we were the first intentional country. Each of those documents was a testament to the unacceptable abuse of power by a monarch, or other tyrant, but also to the wisdom of the founder’s efforts to prevent such abuses from developing in the new nation. Each document was also a testament of the extraordinary faith the founders had in widespread participation in the decision making process: the House of Representatives is the first and foremost voice of the people.
From Left: Unfurling the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Center: Dee Ivy, Yours Truly, and Suzanne Haviland heading down New York Avenue toward Washington, D.C. Right: The first glimpse of the Capitol.
We reached Union Station exactly on time and were met by the Bush and Cheney criminals being pursued by the pink police.
Foreground: Frank, Marilyn, Yours Truly, Cheney/Bush Criminals and Suzanne Haviland, organizer and health care reformer
Onward to the last stop – the National Archives for a rally and visit to the foundation documents.
There as no chance for a rally outside the Archives. We learned that on arrival and should have suspected as much. The police were decent, though, and we managed to do what we needed to do across the street. In some ways it gave us more perspective because of the view. So we gathered. We said thanks. We talked about the Constitutional power of impeachment. David Swanson of AfterDowningStreet.org spoke about the reasons for impeachment and that we all need to bring attention to this issue. We re nation of laws and the archives needs to be the number one choice for tourists to see the documents that outline our principles. Ray McGovern, a former high ranking CIA intelligence analyst also said a few words about the war criminals convicted at Nuremberg for the supreme crime – the accumulation of so many devastating crimes that it amounts to an evil force. All of it began with manufactured intelligence that served the Bush/Cheney purposes without any basis in fact.
And then the rally was over. The march came to an end. We headed back across the street as regular tourists but as soon as we entered the building, those of us wearing any caps, t-shirts or ponchos with the message to impeach Bush/Cheney were sopped and ordered to remove the articles or leave.
Small matter, right? Just do it, right. Why get into a hassle?
Well, here we were attempting to see our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. All of these documents spelled out just why we engaged in a revolutionary war and what values we cherished and rights we guaranteed one another. In this very hall, was the document that proclaimed in the first amendment 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.” Again, the irony was of no interest to the guards who ver jest vollowving oardurs. We made no move to organize ourselves, speak to others or create a scene of any kind. We were simply wearing clothing that had a message. Our signs were left outside.
No go.
Some, took off their hats, like me and absentmindedly put them back on. There in the rotunda of the great hall, with a copy of the actual Constitution proclaiming my rights as an American, a guard came over to me and said “Either remove your hat or you will be immediately escorted from the building.”
I removed my hat and asked him if he thought that it might be odd that in the presence of the Constitution he was asking me to remove my hat because of the message written on it. He simply said he was following orders and needed his job.
Allyson, was somewhat less interested in dealing with this further evidence of the Bush/Cheney effort to order the elimination of dissent wherever possible. When she met the first set of guards with her poncho on, they told her she couldn’t go in wearing it. And while they tried to explain that as a federal building no one could criticize the President, (a false statement), she decided that indeed she would not enter the building. As she explained later, “If I have lost my freedom of speech, why should I bother seeing the document that suosedly grants that freedom?”
Left: Mary Ellen Marino, Allyson, John Larry Maxwell. Right: Your humble servant pointing to an inscription on the wall of the National Archives – Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
Sue was wearing an impeachment t-shirt. They didn’t notice until she was in the rotunda. A guard there noticed her and told her that she had to leave or cover up her shirt. She asked, “What about my first amendment rights, she asked.
The guard replied, “Shhh. Keep your voice down.” Since she couldn’t borrow a jacket, out she went.
This was a remarkable experience because it was so obvious bias based on politics not public safety, decorum, or other need. While all dissenting messages are removed from Presidential appearances, (that no longer makes the news, either), this passive expression of opinion, common on the streets throughout the land, is now censored in public buildings of our nation’s Capitol in the very room dedicated to honoring our right to free expression.
Onward to a restaurant – finally – a Greek Taverna where we had our last supper. There, we talked of other things. Erin came in from Baltimore but she and her husband got held up in traffic, missed the whole event, but managed to arrive in time to share the fun at the Archives before joining us in the restaurant. Deborh Vollmer was also with us to the end. She is a candidate for Congress in Maryland’s 8th District in a contest with Chris Van Hollen. She stands on an immediate end to the war and is an impeachment supporter. Sounds good to me.
Left: Brent Hajck and Erin Cosyn. Right Deborh Vollmer, Candidate in MD8th
The organizers:
Left: Lisa Moscatiello. Right: Anita Burkam, Thomas Nephew, Bev Stanton and Michelle Bailey. Thanks, guys. This was an amazing conclusion to phase one of my journey. Now that I am in D.C. the adventure continues with my pursuit of an appointment with Speaker Pelosi.
B ut there is more! I have an interview with the senior staff of the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I will be hosted in the Cannon House Office Building in D.C. My Congressman, Peter Welch, made that a possibility. For that I thank him. Even though he doesn’t (yet) support impeachment, he has been a gentleman and we have been able to disagree with mutual respect.
Holy moly. No more 12-15 miles a day. No more congested, polluted, near death experiences dodging trucks along U.S. Route 1. Now the tough work begins.
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January 13th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Congratulations to all.
The first part of this March In My Name has been completed successfully. Now, it is time for the order filling. John, has committed to hundreds of people to march in their names (which he has done) and send them photos and/or the actual signs. He will deliver those orders from D.C. as well as those he received from others who have requested that he march into their congressman’s office and deliver a personal message and tell their story. These tasks and John’s own personal messages to Pelosi, the Judicial Committee Representatives, and multiple others will keep him busy.
I want to thank him for his absolute dedication to this effort and to his spunk and good nature and his caring of others all along the route. There are many many others who made John’s walk possible, but there are two without whom it would have been hard and cumbersome and maybe impossible. They are Frank and Marilyn. Frank his road companion — a delightful architect whose nature is calm and compelling. Marilyn the March In My Name support team “tour operator” delivering the marchers to their start and finish locations daily, booking hotels, etc etc etc etc….so much for so long. Thanks to you both!
I, for one, am glad the “road work” is done. It has established a platform that gives even more credence to John’s requests for meetings with members of our U.S. House of Representatives to express his and others’ messages.
Congratulations to all who contributed so much to make this possible with your phone calls, horn honks and “way to gos” from passing cars, networking to get volunteers to help and to get media’s attention! Congratulations to the activists and organizers all along the route who planned rallys and speaking engagements and to all of those in Brattleboro, Vermont who helped nurture this idea into reality.
Congratualtions on this BIG first step – 485 miles – in 1 million (how many?) steps…Good luck on the next Big step — meeting and speaking to congressional delegations from across this great land for fellow citizens who live too far away to visit them in person.
January 13th, 2008 at 10:49 am
John, Good luck in your meetings with our Congressional Representatives. If you speak as well as you write, then surely they will have to listen and understand. I want you to know that your march and your blog have inspired me, and I am sure others,to work harder on the impeachment issue than I was before. Your march has created some energy and drive to make our governkment truely “by the people, of the people, and for the people.” Valerie
January 13th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Thank you for demonstrating the courage of all our convictions. Please notify Representatives Richard Neal and John Olver that their constituents want them to call for the impeachment of Cheney and Bush. No more lip service — we won’t tolerate further inaction. Go get ‘em, John.
January 13th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Congratulation John Nirenberg on your long and courageous journey from Boston to our Nation’s Capitol. You’ve finally made it! It seems like only yesterday (Dec. 30th) when you stopped here at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to rally the public’s support for Impeachment and where I had the honor and pleasure of shaking your hand. You are indeed a humble man and a true Patroit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10917615@N08/sets/72157603669394148/
And now for what may be the most difficult part of the journey? Putting Impeachment back upon table where it dam well belongs! So that we may restore the creibility of this once great Republic. Our Founding Fathers would demand it!
Wishing you all of the best in your meetings this week with our Congressional Representatives.
Take care and God bless you and you family.
Jack in Philadelphia
January 13th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Forty days have been invested in a truly amazing endeavor that has been the embodiment of what is right about this country while doing a magnificent job of reminding us what is wrong with it. The essential theme of the March has been liberty— liberties taken, and liberties taken away. John has spoken and written eloquently about the liberties taken by the Administration in exceeding the powers circumscribed by the Constitution. John has likewise underscored how liberties have been denied to countless individuals, beginning with circumstances as egregious as Guantanamo and as seemingly innocuous and bitterly ironic as the “request†made of John in the Archives rotunda. In John’s words:
~“Either remove your hat or you will be immediately escorted from the building.â€
I removed my hat and asked him if he thought that it might be odd that in the presence of the Constitution he was asking me to remove my hat because of the message written on it. He simply said he was following orders and needed his job.~
Of all the incidents that occurred during the Forty Days, this experience at the Archives was the most unsettling. What “message†was really being sent here? I can’t help but wonder whether all “messages†worn into the building were verboten, or only those of a certain kind? Would the cap have been judged offensive if it bore the message “Republicans Kick Ass†or “Save the Whales†or an emblem plus flag stating â€God Blessed Americaâ€? Which of these would be over the line? Upon whose orders was the guard acting? I can’t help but wonder about the origin of this sartorial policy, and would love to see the document outlining its particulars. This is an Archives, after all.
I looked through the Archives website in search of some reference to restrictions concerning appropriate attire. I found only that visitors were encouraged to expedite the security check by leaving behind items such as backpacks, large bags and metal jewelry. Specific prohibitions include videography with additional lighting for commercial purposes, and food, chewing gum and beverages in exhibit areas. There is also a warning to “Unchaperoned or misbehaved Students or Youth.†Reasonable rules, I suppose, and at least clearly stated. No mention of a dress code, however.
So now thoughts turn to who would be most likely to make policy in an institution such as this? Might as well go to the top and check out the institution’s top official, the “Archivist of the United States.†The exercise produced some interesting results, to say the least. And yes, it involves Bush & Co.
Two Archivists of the United States have been in the spotlight of late—relatively speaking. I learned that Archivist John Carlin’s tenure was to expire at the end of 2005. However, on April 8, 2004, a statement was issued by the White House that it had nominated Allen Weinstein to become the next Archivist of the United States. In the meantime, it appeared that a resignation had been extracted from Carlin. With a resignation—as opposed to dismissal— comes release from the need to show cause. Though such an appointment goes largely unnoticed by “we the people,†White House watchdogs, historians and archivists had much to say about this apparent Bush+Rove+Gonzales maneuver. Stories appeared in the press and online, and now, almost four years later, they make for some interesting reading, especially in the context of John’s encounter. A referenced account can be obtained at Heritage groups challenge George W. Bush nominee for US Archivist: So What? at http://www.mybestdocs.com/barry-steemson-nationalarchivist-final-wv.htm. This is but one of many that can be found with minimal digging.
John’s experience at the National Archives and the Archives’ backstory is another indicator that it’s what’s under the hat that counts— mind, eyes and ears. We need to frame that picture of John wearing his now-infamous cap and pointing to a phrase that’s also the cornerstone of citizenship: Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty. That observation cannot be overstated, or stated often enough.
John, you now switch hats from that of Marcher to that of C.P.A. — Certified Patriotic Accountant— as you approach our elected representatives and make a case for accountability. Your blog is clear evidence that your Muses have been with you for forty days; may Calliope and Clio now stay with you a few days more. I quote you again, John, “Now the tough work begins.†If there were a Muse of open doors, I’d invoke her, too.
–b.a. in AZ
P. S. Allyson— I just saw your entry as I went to log in to post this. How we concur on our reaction to this incident!