Happy Mabon!!

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

Since it is Mabon I have a pre-scheduled day off from work. I also have tomorrow off as well. I am doing this so that by the end of the year I am not feeling a sense of horror and shame that I neglected to use up all my vacation and personal days. Last year if you can recall I had three days that I did not use. I felt horrible realizing in the last week of December that I was needlessly in the office. I could have taken three days off but it was too late to do anything about it. So this years goal has been to use up all my vacation and personal days.

THE PEACE PETITITION TO ELIJAH CUMMINGS

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

A couple of weeks ago on Patriot Day I signed a petition and got a leaflet from one of the peace activists that I photographed. The leaflet mentioned that the petition I was signing would be given to Congressman Elijah Cummings on September 22, 2005 at 4PM. As luck would have it that day coincides with Mabon and thus, I was off work.

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

I have never been to Congressman Cummings office. I only vaguely know of its location as being near the Cultural Center light rail stop. The only thing I know about Cummings is that he is a Democrat, he represents me in Congress, and that he succeeded my cousin, Kweisi Mfume, after he left office to head the NAACP.

When I made my way over to Cummings office I did not know quiet what to expect. I was not sure if anyone would even be there. For all I knew the woman who handed me the petition could have been a crazy lady who liked to collect signatures.

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

When I finally got there there was a group of people gathered on the corner outside of Cummings office. They were carrying Anti-War signs. I also saw a woman who looked to be a newspaper reporter. She had a professional looking camera around her neck, a notepad, and every now and then she spoke into a small white tape recorder.

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

There were also people there from an organization that I believe is called Power Speaks. They wore bright orange t-shirts and also carried signs. Unfortunately, I can not find any information about them on the web. A little later in the afternoon a guy showed up in a lion costume carrying a sign that said US Congress. I tried to take his picture but he kept turning away. I guess he did not want his picture taken in such a silly outfit.

The next thing that happened was that the protesters gathered in a circle and a man with a Power Speaks t-shirt led a prayer and then a man who was a veteran of the Iraq war sang a song. The veteran looked pitiful. He was in a wheelchair and his legs were amputated.

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

After the veteran sang his song the protesters placed a mock up of the signatures on the ground to form a yellow brick road then the guy in the lion outfit and a woman in a Dorothy costume did an Anti-war skit about the US Congress role in the Iraq War.

, originally uploaded by willisgirl.

Then finally the group of protesters went over to Cummings office and handed the petition with over 2,000 signatures over to two representatives of Elijah Cummings. One representative was male the other was female and wore glasses. The representatives then had the protesters sign a sign in sheet then they were allowed to tell the representatives their feelings about the war. The protesters one by one chimed in on their feelings about the war. The representatives assured them that they were preaching to the choir. The female representative told the protesters that Cummings had attended the funerals of many who died due to the Iraq war. She told that crowd that, "He knows what is going on." Just then one of the protesters said that he just wants Cummings to publicly come out and say that he was against the war and to bring our troops home by December! He felt that Cummings was the one to spearhead a movement in Congress to bring the troops home.

Personally, I felt a little let down that Cummings was not there to speak to the protesters. It almost felt as though he was in hiding. Then again it could have been that he was still in DC. All in all I hope that he finds the courage to publicly speak out against the war on Iraq.

WHAT I AM WEARING:

Today, I have on an olive green short sleeve shirt, blue pants, and beige canvas tennis shoes.