Brian
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Posts: 3,802
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Post by Brian on Oct 9, 2013 23:00:15 GMT -8
The Support Network's name has changed along with Manning's gender identification. I really miss my three-by-five-foot FREE BRADLEY banner with its famous photo of Private Manning in his dress uniform in front of the American flag. Last April, we paid the Bradley Manning Support Network for one banner and they mailed three the next day. I gave the extras to other activists, who've displayed them in the May Day march downtown and on the beach in Santa Monica this summer. Anni sewed a rod on top of ours and fashioned a screw-in, portable two-part pole. And I held it at every weekly Montrose Peace Vigil -- as well as rallies in West Hollywood and Westwood -- until I decided to retire it last month. I barely had time to absorb the sentencing verdict and consider the work ahead when Chelsea Manning was introduced to a world that largely had just learned who Bradley Manning was and what he had done. My first thought: There goes the brand. But Chelsea told the Support Network that she understood that it would take time for their website to change images, let alone the public's perception of her very identity. Soon it will be too dark on the corner for anything but white signs with big black letters, and lots of candles. I'll light mine for Chelsea Manning, who served us so well and who deserves to be happy while she is clearly gearing up for a long battle to avoid a longer incarceration.
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Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
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Post by Brian on Nov 13, 2013 0:00:14 GMT -8
Last weekend, I left the speakers on uncharacteristically while I was writing a post on this message board when I heard an advertisement. ProBoards used to have a strict policy against ads with audio, but that's apparently over. Around three years ago, I bought a little extra real estate at the top of every page by accepting a larger square ad, which shared its space with either a greeting to our guests or the seven most recent topics for each logged in member, something that was probably only interesting to me. I didn't realize that the new, slow-loading videos I had noticed recently were spewing sound.
I apologize to all of the guests and especially our regular members if they experienced that. I changed the ad space back to the old narrow rectangle that allows no video embeds.
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Brian
Administrator
Posts: 3,802
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Post by Brian on Dec 19, 2013 0:54:41 GMT -8
I got involved with the Progressive Democrats of America in 2010, when Roberta organized PDA's monthly Brown Bag Lunch Vigils on the corner next to Congressman Adam Schiff's district office in Pasadena to oppose the war in Afghanistan, showing up there with Anni a few times until redistricting moved his office to Burbank after the 2012 election. Back in 2000, we voted for Schiff in his stunning win over Rep. James Rogan, but Schiff only represented us for one term until reapportionment. For many years, I addressed most letters to my Congressman to Brad Sherman instead of the guy who represented our house, Buck McKeon, using the nine-digit ZIP Code of my post office box as my address. Blessedly, Anni and I got Schiff back this year for real. Last January, the PDA abandoned the Brown Bag Lunch Vigils and started organizing monthly letter drops at some 200 district offices nationwide, its Educate Congress Campaign. Anni and I joined Roberta for the first one. (We wrote about it and posted a photo here on the message board.) Some of you met Rosalind at the Montrose Christmas Parade -- she and Nancy marched with our peace vigil banner. Rosalind assumed the PDA's 28th District organizing duties, so I was back at Schiff's office around lunchtime on Wednesday to meet her and Roberta to present another letter, this one opposing the proposed TPP pact and cuts to SNAP funding. I must report that Schiff's field representative Mary was absolutely wonderful. She took notes of our conversation, asking him to join the Congressional Progressive Caucus and to disregard that part of PDA's letter about the TPP because all of us already have letters from him demonstrating his opposition. But we would love to read where Schiff stands on any reductions to the food stamp program. As for PDA, if they can ever summon a critical mass for a 28th District chapter, I will start another thread about them.
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