RIGHT NOW, SEVEN rural Oregon grandmothers have locked themselves in the offices of Republican Congressional Represenattive Greg Walden. The Grandmothers showed up at Walden’s office to deliver to him petitions, testimonials and other stories from a huge, locally arranged Town Hall Meeting on the Cost of War that neither Walden nor is staff could bother to attend despite having received notice of the meeting for several months. These town halls were put on in four of Oregon’s five Congressional districts and were attended by more than 700 rural Oregonians. They were supported by the statewide Rural Organizing Project in Oregon, but were put on and run by local groups dedicated to human dignity and ending this inhumanity called the Iraq War.
After Walden refused to talk these brave women on the phone, they refused to leave the office and locked themselves in. One of these women has a grandchild on his third tour in Iraq. On would think she deserved the courtesy of a phone call. They will likely spend Tuesday night in the office. To avoid embarrassments such as visited Oregon Senator Gordon Smith when he had Grandmothers arrested for the gall to actually want to speak with their Senator, Walden’s office is trying the tactic of appeasing them or waiting them out.
But, after Walden offered to hold a conference call with them at the end of the day, the brave Grandmas told him that was too little too late, and now insist that he pledge to vote against the upcoming Iraq War Appropriations bill before they leave. Way to go Grannies! Who knows how long they will hold out. If you live in Central Oregon, get over to Walden’s Bend office and support these magnificent women.
There are heroes among us. They are unlikely people and live in unlikely places, like Grandmothers in rural Oregon. They should inspire us all. What are we doing to stop the War?
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