People's Assembly at Pelosi's House - Cut The Pentagon Day #47

By: Cynthia Papermaster

Action Endorsers the 11/5 People's Assembly: Codepink Golden Gate and East Bay, Extinction Rebellion (new chapter), Youth vs. Apocalypse, SF Progressive Democrats of America, SF Occupy Forum and Occupy SF Environmental Justice Working Group, Triple Justice, and BARC (Barkers Agitating for Reactor Closures).

"Remember, remember, the fifth of November" is a phrase in connection with Guy Fawkes Day in England when people celebrate an attempted rebellion with bonfires and gatherings, and it comes to mind about last Friday night at Nancy Pelosi's house.

Madam Pelosi wasn't home, but her husband Paul Pelosi was home.

First dinner was served. We had delicious pizza (supplied by Jackie), hot sweet potatoes with butter (supplied by Mishwa), vegan pizza, sliced persimmons and homemade apple pie (supplied by Cynthia), and Chinese food (supplied by Shirley).

Jackie brought lots of chairs, I brought a table, lights, and a sound system.

KRON TV reporter/cameraman Daniel came and interviewed me with Pelosi's house, our people, and strings of pink solar lights and pink flyers in the background.

Thanks to the wonderful participants who joined the Assembly, including Adrianne, her son and a friend from the Free Speech Movement days, Diana, Ruthie and her sweet dog Ginger, Grace, Susan W., Michael, Aaron, Kate, Luck-Key, and 5 different passersby who stopped, chatted, and also wrote messages to Pelosi. I've transcribed the messages from the Assembly letter to the best of my ability (see below) and plan to send it as an open letter to the Chronicle and 48 Hills, and I'll stick the giant rolled up document in a mailing tube and send it to Pelosi's home.

We hung out until 9:30 discussing the Pentagon budget, the climate crisis, the lack of healthcare for all, the huge number of homeless, the lack of affordable housing, and the lack of leadership from Pelosi around the toxic situation at Bayview Hunters Point and Treasure Island. We sat in a circle and sent love and healing thoughts to Renay. We decided to head home rather than camp overnight since the media had left and Pelosi wasn't at home.

Thanks Susan for taking and sending the photos attached.

We're building the monthly People's Assemblies and will be doing them on the first Friday of each month. So the next one is on December 5. We'll be reaching out for more co-sponsors and media. As always, please volunteer to help get the word out, organize, and come!

Below is our the official letter to Pelosi:

People's Assembly Letter to Nancy Pelosi

Stop the war machine.

Honor the Ramaytush Ohlone. Land Back.

Cut the Pentagon Budget of $741 billion, which is $1.4 million A MINUTE, and spend that money instead on clean energy, Medicare for All, eliminating student debt, creating affordable housing, planting trees, and all the needs of the people and planet that we can't afford because we are paying for a war industry and endless wars and military bases.

Declare a Climate Emergency and direct all resources to the climate emergency. Stop all fossil fuel and uranium extraction, stop clearcutting, strip mining, tar sands pipelines, and reduce methane and CO2 emissions, particularly of the military.

Dear Public Servant Rep. Nancy Pelosi

Thank you for your many years of service to the needs of our country and planet-- home Earth our great at this juncture for all life now. Please , I beseech you, to use your "power politics" framed within the values of "compassionate wisdom" to implement legislation that values also to say "yes to life." One big major way is to cut the military budget now at least is 60% of our total national budget. Is that how we say yes to life? We, especially our young people are proposing Rep. Pelosi to start this conversation among the public a time line to decrease the military budget by 10% in 2022, so in the next five years the military budget will be under 50%. Let's start this process now. By doing the cuts you and your colleagues will also be cutting CO2 emissions which will also help the climate crisis issues and the money can be used for the needs of your commitments. Yes to life. Yes to earth, yes to nonviolence, yes to children, Cut the military budget. Peace and love to you Nancy and your grandchildren.

Speaker Pelosi be strong. Stand up for the earth and the trees. They stand up for you.

Thank you for being an amazing roll model for aspiring female leaders the world over. Please use your influence to house the poor, feed the hungry and save the planet. Turn to Lady Liberty when you need advice. Thank you.

What I learned from Covid is that life is precious. Our society needs to come together to protect it. All life, people from everywhere, all animals, plants ecosystems that support life. Never destroy. Always cultivate and protect. You know this. The planet is in trouble. Help please.

Nancy, Think of your grandchildren & beyond. They are telling us they want to live and still see the butterflies, clear skies, clean water, healthy food, clean air, free childcare, healthy oceans. Cut the pentagon budget by 2/3. Convert all those 800+ military bases to health centers, affordable housing, and ecology centers to create renewable energy. Mishwa Lee, your constituent in the 94124.

Speaker, I need you to stop funding Iron Domes. Start funding the war on climate. Bigger threat.

P.S. Free Assange.

Want to join the next People's Assembly at Pelosi's? RSVP Here!

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Ally Hermes published this page in PINK Tank ~ Blog 2021-11-16 17:14:31 -0500