'Two Weeks!  Twooo Weeeeks!!  Twoooooo Weeeeekssss!!!'

Friends,

Have you seen the movie Total Recall?  The title of this is a quote from the movie.  It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as both the hero and the unwitting pawn of Corporate Forces.  His memory had been manipulated, but he was waking up into the nightmare of his real life which involved collusion between the government and large multi-planet corporations, where the air is unsafe to breathe, and the government turns off the fans which circulate the oxygen in order to suppress the area of town which is organizing against the oppression.  It is his awareness and involvement with the activism of others that winds up saving Arnold, and also the entire planet (of Mars).

I am counting on every one of you to be a part of our collective wakening that we will demonstrate on January 31st.  If we don't wake the slumbering beast, we will hibernate through the death of our liberty.  We prove the Great American Experiment to have been a failure.  If we don't organize ourselves and successfully resist our enslavement to this fascist regime, then the idea that we can successfully keep ourselves free if given the power to do so will have been proven false.  We will have shown that we can be so easily lulled to sleep by orgies of consumption, constant media distraction, and focusing only on the nuclear family unit that we become so disinterested in our own freedom that we won't fight to keep it.

I do not believe we have lost.  I believe that we are the ones we have been waiting for.   I believe in the sanctity of LIFE, LIBERTY, and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.  I know that there are enough of us in the majority, and we ARE the majority, to protect these sacred things.  Here is an MSNBC poll to back that assertion up:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10562904/ and here is another series of polls, and an article from afterdowningstreet.org detailing how the Washington Post has been bombarded with demands for polls about impeaching Bush, but have refused:  http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/polling

The neighborhood I canvassed tonight was very interested in having a neighborhood State of Emergency party, and is organizing for January 31st.  The community aspect of this event is so important.  If we can't get together as neighborhoods and communities and stand against fascism, then we won't be strong enough to weather the next few years without losing much of what we hold dear.  But if we can stand strong together, they will
never be able to take our freedom away!

That is why I am calling on you to step up and help either host a neighborhood party, or lead a neighborhood march.  Ideally, we will have 8 march leaders and at least one party per neighborhood.

The neighborhood parties are very simple.  All it takes is passing out flyers and talking to your neighbors, and inviting them either to your house, or to a meeting place in your community at 5PM.  Then at 6PM, grab your drums, pots and pans, and chant, sing and shout to DROWN OUT BUSH'S LIES as he tries to use the State of the Union address to push forth his administration's radical agenda at home and abroad.

Leading a neighborhood march is simple, too.  These marches originate from Pioneer Square.  March Leaders will be given a map and a simple route beforehand. (Those crossing the river will use the light rail train (MAX) as a group)  At the appropriate time, the March Leaders will go to designated areas in Pioneer Square, and hold up a sign that will indicate which quadrant of Portland that March Leader will be heading to.  That way, the crowd will know who to follow to their area of town.  The march will end at 7PM at a destination to be announced, where the marchers can celebrate with each other having participated in a significant demonstration.  They may then discuss plans for February 4th.  The marchers will be advised beforehand to park near the Final Destination and take public transportation in, if they are able to.  Or better yet, take public transportation the whole way, and conserve some oil!

I imagine a scenario where "Mortimer" is inside watching King George on the babblebox, and upon hearing the clatter outside, he goes to the window to see "Marge" leading a march comprised of some of his neighbors right by his house.  "What are you doing Marge?" Mortimer would ask.  "Waking you from King George's spell!  Join us, won't you?" Marge would reply.  And the march would grow even more.

We are going ahead with renting out Pioneer Square from 4:30 PM to 6 PM, though the plan is to have everybody out of the square soon after 5:30 so they can be marching in the neighborhoods by 6.  The Sandpeople are confirmed as the Music Act.  They are a local wonderfully conscious and danceable Hip Hop band.  There are several speakers under consideration.  We won't have more than 2 speakers.  If you have any ideas for bands or speakers, speak up now!  Again, however, the focus will be on the events in the communities, and the Marchers from Pioneer Square will ideally meet up with the Neighborhood Parties as they march through that area, and they will march together Bringing the Noise and DROWNING OUT BUSH'S LIES and growing in size and volume all along the way.

There are already people buying tickets to Washington DC for the weekend of February 4th to March on Washington, and take our demands to the White House.  The cheapest and quickest thing to do is to buy plane tickets as soon as possible online.  On cheaptickets.net and other similar discount airfare sites, a roundtrip ticket leaving friday and returning Sunday costs right around $200.  (Last week they were $175)  Also rideshares can be arranged through Craig's List. Please contact me by email at portland@worldcantwait.org or call Portland Can't Wait at (206) 666 - BUSH if you plan to go so we can help to coordinate.  Accommodations are being taken care of by the Washington DC office.  There are several churches which have donated space.  You can contact the DC office at (202) 536 - 4313 for further details about coordinating accommodations.

The schedule of the weekend is as follows:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4th
11am: Rally Gathers at 17th & Constitution
2pm: March Around the White House

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5th
11am-4pm:  National organizing meeting in Washington DC to plan our next
steps to drive out the Bush regime. More details to come.

Get regular updates on what World Can't Wait volunteers in Washington DC are up to at http://worldcantwaitdcvolunteers.blogspot.com/

----------------------------

What you can do to help:

Download the flyer I made tonight, make as many copies as you are able, and distribute liberally around town at grocery stores, community boards, on telephone poles, and in windows.  I will link as well as attach the pdf.  http://www.ecotv.org/pdf/J31flyer.pdf

Call as many media outlets as possible and start asking about the event to create a buzz.  You can start with the attached list that Heather compiled.  I'll also include it in a P.S.

Post announcements on internet sites, blogs, and boards.

Contact your friends and neighbors and tell them about this event and
activate them to talk to others and bring as many people as possible.

DONATE and RAISE MONEY (

Locally, we still haven't raised enough to pay for Pioneer Square, or local newspaper ads to announce the event.

Nationally, they need to pay for the New York Times ad coming out this week as well as office staff in DC.

If you want to donate money, or want to direct someone to donate money to
the local effort, they can do it online at www.ecotv.org by clicking on
the "Donate" button located on the right side of the website about half
way down.  I run EcoTV (along with A. Citizen) and 100% of the contributions that
come in are going directly to Portland Can't Wait until Feb 1.

If they want to contribute to the national effort, they can go to:
http://worldcantwait.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=4&Itemid=4

or send checks to:

World Can't Wait
305 Madison #1166
New York NY 10165

Contributions of $100 or more may be made tax-deductible if the donor
sends a check made out to World Can't Wait, 305 W. Broadway #185 New York
NY 10013. The Alliance for Global Justice sends out the IRS required
receipt for donation of $250 and more in January. At this time, online
donations are not tax deductible.

The Alliance for Global Justice, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the fiscal
sponsor of World Can't Wait. AFGJ will acknowledge contributions in
writing, and furnish evidence of its status as an exempt organization upon
request. Their latest financial report is available at their offices, 1247
E Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003.

In solidarity,

Cyd

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