The illustration is Isaiah's latest The World Today Just Nuts which went up this morning. It's Cindy Sheehan, Peace Mom, being blocked from view by Peg Kerry -- a one time peace activist during Vietnam but now just part of the problem.
So here's the deal, in 2005, a petition was delivered to the UN Mission to the United Nations's Peg Kerry, who happens to be John Kerry's sister, by the way. No need for applause, it's her job. She was contacted ahead of time, told of the petition and, as a government employee, accepted a petition signed by the American people.
That was 2005.
In 2006, CODEPINK had collected signatures on another petition calling for the end of the war. As before, Peg Kerry was contacted ahead of time.
As before she agreed to do her job (accept the petition).
But then something happened, something that was too much for Bitter, Bitter, Bitter, Bitter Peggy Pooh.
See, once she emerged from her buidling, she saw that the group of women included
The Peace Mom.
And there were reporters too!
How many?
Pegs said "a gaggle of press"!
A gaggle! Yikes!
Doesn't everyone know that under Bully Boy's Executive Order "Natural Disasters We Ignore, Belly Lint We Explore and Damnation to Sunshine" that the US government will conduct no business in public where prying eyes might tip off the 'enemies' and 'terrorists' who are just waiting to see someone in the government accept a petition or cook some intell?
Apparently not!
And Pegs Kerry was no Peggy Bundy. She hopped to it, cell phone at the ready, calling in just about everyone but the Marines. (Maybe they were there as well and just thus far non-reported on?) Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin, Missy Comley Beattie and Rev. Patti Ackerman ended up being arrested. That was March 6, 2006. Last week, the four women went on trial.
The New York Times' covered the trial but seemed to miss all the important details. The above is sketched out in Samuel Maull's AP story. (Though we enjoy best the creative recreation Peace Mom.)
Pegs seems especially peeved that the "gaggle of press" was there because of Peace Mom. As opposed to being there for the sister of a US Senator? Ah Pegs, the plans you must have had to be the next Neil Bush or at least the next Billy Carter.
Bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter Peggy Pooh.
Now can someone explain how calling to say you're dropping off a petition, showing up to drop of said petition and then being refused and pounced upon by law enforcement is the women's fault?
Hey, NY tax payers, Peggy Kerry's wasting your tax money and tying up the court.
If she didn't want to accept the petition (though in a transperent administration, accepting the petition would be considered her job), she should have told them that when they called. But she was fine with it. She just wasn't fine with Peace Mom.
Maybe she's been rubbing shoulders with John Bolton?
Regardless, they are American citizens on American soil, the women have a right to deliver a petition. They'd even called ahead and been told it was fine.
But it only takes one nut job and Peg's appear to be the one. Samuel Maull reports:
Kerry replied loudly: "I said I was angry at the fact that Reverend Ackerman did not tell me in good faith who was going to be at the meeting and I thought that as a minister that was hardly the thing."
Apparently angry in court too. What's up with the mood swings and hostility?
Oh Bitter, Bitter, Bitter, Bitter Peggy Pooh, step off your high horse. You've got no cause to play injured party. You, in your official capacity, agreed to accept a petition. You broke your word. It was bad manners and it was bad government.
The women are facing charges for trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental business. Friday the testimony ceased and that jury was sent off to reach a verdict. If the jury can reach a verdict this weekend (and Pegs' road rage on the witness stand shouldn't make for too many lengthy deliberations), it will be announced Monday when the court reconvenes at 9:30 a.m.
Now there's a good chance that the jury could go another way. They could ignore the facts and realities and punish the innocent. (Maybe they want to play the 2000 Supreme Court?) Because that is a possiblity, if you're in the NYC area Monday morning, 100 Centre Street, the fourth floor, is where you want to be.
Medea Benjamin explained the events of March 6th as follows: "We were a peaceful group of women who simply wanted to give our petition to a representative of the US Mission headed by John Bolton, But in classic Bolton-style diplomacy, instead of taking our petition and thanking us for our efforts, the UN Mission called the police to arrest us. It’s outrageous."
