by Leora Falk
Joe Moore, an alderman from Chicago, was rebuffed at the White House Gates earlier today as he tried to present President Bush with letters and referendums from towns, cities and states speaking out against the war in Iraq and asking that Bush bring the troops home now.
Voice over the intercom: Can I help you?”
Moore: Yes My name is Joe Moore, I am a member of the Chicago City Council and I am here with some other elected officials and state legislators from across the nation and we had written a letter to president bush asking for a meeting, and we didn’t get a response so, we have copies of resolutions that our state legislators and city councils have passed regarding the war in Iraq, and I was wondering if there was someone from the President’s staff who we could deliver these resolutions to.
Voice: Sir, please stand by.
He then stood by, telling press that local elected officials “have their finger on the pulse” of the American public, whose opposition to the war is growing, and posing for photographs with the resolutions. White House security asked people who were trying to leave the White House to use the next gate over so as not to let in the activists and local officials who were crowded at the gate . At one point, one of the group told a member of the press who was leaving to use the other gate, and people groaned, asking “whose side are you on?”
Then a police officer approached the gate.
Moore: Hi how are you. I’m Joe Moore I’m am a member of city council. How are you doing?
Police: I’m good.
Moore: And I’m here with a bunch of, dozens of local elected officials and state legislators from cities and states who have passed referendums or resolutions against the war in Iraq, and we would like to present those to either the President or a member of his staff. I have a folder containing some of those resolutions, and I was wondering if I could deliver them to someone in the White House.
Officer: I appreciate your concern the problem is it would be against protocol to accept them. What you can do is mail them. It goes through all the proper channels and will reach its destination.
Moore: So your indicating that there is no one right now in the President’s staff who is willing to accept the resolutions passed by local elected officials representing about 150 million Americans?
Police: this wouldn’t be the forum to do that.
Person in the front of crowd: Officer, what about the First Amendment right of petition, the first amendment is for people to petition [inaudible].
Officer: Yeah, we’ve got security issues we can’t accept packages unless they are from a government courier.
Moore: Well, I am a member of local government and I am acting as a courier for all these local government officials today. There is no envelope. It’s uh …no sealed envelope, just a folder with petitions and resolutions, right inside.
Woman shouting in the crowd: The people are speaking!
Officer: We’re not going to be able to bring them inside
Moore: Well, I appreciate your time. I know you are just carrying out orders and delivering what other folks told you, but it is disappointing that the president or any member of the staff couldn’t meet with local elected officials
Officer: Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.
Moore: Thank you
Woman shouting: Take the resolutions!
Man shouting: Throw them over the fence!
He didn’t throw them over the fence but later presented them to Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) who looked like she was in a huge rush to be somewhere else, but promised to display them at the next Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus meeting.
17 comments:
If he has his "finger on the pulse" of the people, he'd know that we want the gangs, drugs, and guns out of our neighborhoods!!!
Maybe we should show up at HIS office with our own petition for peace?
southevanstonian, that is a brilliant idea. Where do I sign?
Now THERE'S an idea, evanston..... wonder if it would help?
and after being turned away by his higher up, he would have to be a real dick to do it to his own people. that sounds like a fantastic idea. i would totally support that, just let me know where to sign and i'll be there.
SE...I believe that is a VERY good idea. The residents of the ward should draft and sign resolutions pertaining to the problems with the ward and show up...enmasse...to the ward office with them.
I wish Tom Mannis had been there to video tape this episode and add sound effects and subtitles.
I can't help but think of Moses, saying to the pharoah: "Let my peeople go!" Does he think he's Moses?
Tonight when I go to bed, I know what my prayer will be, "Lord, please give us an Alderman who will focus on his job and taking care of the people of the 49th Ward. Amen."
I'll sign
I think it's a great idea, but I assume the Joe would just stop showing up at the office.
T
A short story of the Joys and Tribulations of one Tottery Old Man living in Paradise on Earth - Rogers Park: A comedy in three parts.
Part 1 – Far away from Paradise
Yesterday our Alderman (Joe “Steal That Election” Moore) was in Washington screwing off and undoubtedly spending (or redirecting) some City money for something associated with his personal little PR stunt. Maybe he called his trip a “Remote Informational Office” or some similar double talk two faced lawyer crap that constantly dribbles out of his mouth. Joe was being Joe. The cameras were running.
Part Two – The Moon (and the beach) belong to 16 year old Lifeguards
Last night at 10:00pm I was sitting on the Pratt Street Pier, watching a beautiful moon rise, talking with a friend, when 4 bicycle police ride up the pier and announce that I must get off the pier IMMEDIATELY because the lifeguards were off duty, the beach was closed, and the pier is part of the beach. I asked the first cop what exact law I was being told to obey, and he promptly asked me if I was being belligerent. I told him, yes, I’m feeling a bit belligerent, but I’d rather not have to wake my grumpy lawyer up with my one phone call from prison. Then the second (female) cop gets out her handy dandy pocket guide to Chicago’s really really stupid laws (they have a different guidebook for Chicago’s laws that make at least some sense – it’s much smaller) and proceeded to tell me what number the really mindless “you can’t sit on the pier after the little blond 16 year old Lifeguards With Braces are gone home to Wilmette” law was, and that if she needed to give me a ticket it would cost me $100 to $750 - lots of dollars. The other two cops – back up I suppose - this was really important police work – nodded knowingly. She then explained that the law was important because if I had been a 3 year old, there wouldn’t be a 16 year old blond Life Guard With Braces there to save me. So work the minds of the police in a police state. My well being was foremost in their little hearts. Someone has told these pit bulls of public safety that their job is to patrol the beaches after dark and make sure we aren’t wading or watching the stars or otherwise endangering our ignorant helpless selves. Who is that someone???
After adding $750 to the outrageous fees my grumpy lawyer will charge me for having to come down to the ghetto and bail my chubby ass out of Commander Ratners’ jail, and then adding to that what he would charge me to go to court just to loose a loosing battle with a government gone absolutely insane at the hands of ABSOLUTLY UNBELIEVABLE ASSHOLE ALDERMEN like “Steal The Election” Joe, when my grumpy lawyer has told me over and over to NEVER NEVER go swinging at windmills, I decided to bid our Brave Men and Women in Blue …. Adieu. Those brave 1st responders – fast on the trigger – getting in front of any old man out breaking the “you can’t have any fun in Chicago” laws. I decided to walk over to JB Alberto’s and sooth my indignation with a slice or two. Tony – save me from myself.
Part 3 – Night Life under the Blue Light Special or Yo … want some COKE with that slice …???
Six blocks and a third world away, not a 1st responder to be seen. Not a bike cop, not a prowler, nor a paddy wagon nor a Foot Solider of Freedom. The Morse “L” station has apparently been taken “private”. In the spirit of capitalism, it appears – at least from my cursory inspection at 10:30 last night, the City of Chicago has “spun off” the Morse “L” stop, and the adjacent city sidewalks and streets surrounding it. It apparently has been purchased by a well organized fraternal organization holding their annual convention at that very moment I decided to add a spicy slice to my unhappy self. Fraternity members everywhere, wearing their secret fraternity colors, doing secret fraternity handshakes, making secret fraternity hand-signs, dancing secret fraternity dances with their bad ass looking fraternity fighting dogs, telling their secret fraternity hookers what the fuck for ……. They somehow remind me of the Shriners in their little fez hats with their little micro-automobiles, giving to charity, hoping to cure cancer or elect another Republican President or some-such. But no, these are Rogers Park Fraternity Members - riding around on their drug dealer bicycles, talking on their drug dealer cell phones, handing off little drug dealer packages in an endless dance of Fraternal Symbolism and Secret Meaning known only to the coke dealers and their customers and any lazy ass cop who would want to ride his stupid “get out of the park’ bike over to Morse and Glenwood and take a look. Take a look you boobs – any time DAY OR NIGHT!!! Better to kick old men out of the park early I suppose ……. Easier and safer for sure you fucking cowards!!! Go do your REAL job. Or just like Joe Moore, are you on their pad too??? Sure looks like it. Those folks are operating in a “Zero Resistance Zone”. And smiling their big Rogers Park Fraternity Smiles.
I can hear Joe Moore now – standing in front of the cameras, smiling his goofy snaggled chromosome smile, with his flittery girl-like hands and wobbly alderman jowls – He could tell anyone who will listen, that Rogers Park might just be an insane loony bin run by triple thinking aldermen and enforced by out of control cops who would do anything but what needs to be done. But it’s NOT OUR FAULT ….Joe would say.
And Rogers Park IS just that way, and Joe will tell you …….it’s all because of …… Iraq.
Thanks Joe - for being there for the “Little Guy”
Joe - Please stay in Washington. Please.
Rogers Park Booster (retired)
Last night after the Cubs Won I went for a bike ride to celebrate that one.
I cut through the school to see if any one was being a fool.
They were.
Immediately 2 of these Rogers Park Fraternity Members ride up and try to box me in. Yelling "hey cracker, you cant cut through here cracker, we are going to get you cracker".
Ignoring their insults I peddle on making some distance between me and the resistance.
They on their on little boy bikes I on a racer I felt no threat from those 6 foot 2 haters.
I emerge between the little red school houses and low and behold right in front of me are 2 boys in blue on their nifty blue racers.
The Rogers Park Fraternity Members attitude quickly changes.
They claimed that felt the need to follow me to tell me they were not stalking me.
Yes these Rogers Park Fraternity Members were lying and about to be up to no good right in my neighborhood.
No laws were broken but we did memorize each others faces and then it was of to the races.
Hey Joe, the Rogers Park Fraternity Members think it is ok to beat the shit out of people in our neighborhood.
I do not.
Where is that petition?
Weather it is robbery, gooning or general debauchery it is not hard to spot.
A war is brewing right here in our own neighborhood over that school lot.
Bring the troop back ok fine.
Bring our Alderman home.
Lets have those returning troops buy condos on Farwell, Morse and Lunt at any time.
Have DevCorp place ads in stars and stripes listing each property that sounds fine.
Doesn't the school lot close at 10pm ? What did the cops do about this? I think these are two very important stories and very in tune with my experiences here in Rogers Park.
rogersparkbooster: well done! Give us some more!
I hear the same thing happens we he tries to get into the mayor's office.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/25320
See the youtube link where your alderman looks like an unelected asshole. What "elected" official in his right mind would try to present resolutions to a security guard!? Duh!
Hey that our elected idiot. Thanks for sharing. Make sure that you go to your C.A.P.S. meeting to report these issues and I am sure that they will be taken care of ASAP. Not!
> Moore: ... it is disappointing that the president or any member of the staff couldn’t meet ...
disappointed?
what did you think would happen?
Moore is either an idiot or a liar
Looks like we found the right guy to write the text of that petition: RogersParkBooster (ret.)!
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