Seasons of Discontent: A Presidential Occupation Project

Earlier this year I spent an incredible week with amazing peace activists/war protesters in Des Moines, Iowa, Chicago and Springfield, Illinois. It all started with Kathy Kelly’s coming to Peoria on Friday December 21, 2007, to see the Iraqi refugee family.
I had heard about Kathy Kelly from Tonya but had never met her before or knew too much about her. Sometimes I feel I am going through life in a fog, I seem to hear things but not really hear, if you know what I mean. Any way during her brief visit Kathy mentioned about going to Iowa to protest the war to various presidential candidate who were gathering in Iowa for the caucuses. I had been feeling restless to do some thing, that I jumped at the opportunity to join Kathy in the SODAPOP – Seasons Of Discontent: A Presidential Occupation Project.
before Kathy came to Peoria my car was partially repaired and was waiting for a part to complete the repair. The part was expected to arrive after Christmas with plenty of time to finish repair before the sodapop operation in Iowa.
But i feel more comfortable with a newer car that also gives better mileage. In the shop, I had to after deliberating and back and forth vacillation I se
Anyway I decided to take a chance and headed to Des Moines on Sunday December 30, 2007. I cruised all the way just about 20 miles from des-Moines when suddenly the car slowed down considerably. According to my calculations I should have easily reached iowa on the gas tank I had filled couple of days before leaving for Iowa. In a panic I took the first exit hoping to find a gas station. I have to drive all over Altoona before finding a gas station that carried diesel by then the guage was showing empty tank. Normally on a full tank I can go 330 – 400 miles. The odometer reading had barely reached 300 miles. It was getting late and was bitterly cold, nervously I got on the highway again and made it to Dingman – catholic worker house safely.
I had no idea that there will be so many people, apparently waiting for dinner. I got some curious glances as, timidly, I made my way to the back of the house. In the kitchen I was told the dinner would be served at 6 pm. Apparently any one can drop in for meals. Kathy and bob had not arrived yet from Chicago, I introduced myself and was promptly taken to the attic where most of the activists from all over would sleep for the next few days.
By the dinnertime Kathy and Bob had arrived from Chicago.
At the meeting next morning I learned the nuts and bolts of sodapop. It was decided in advance who is willing to risk arrest and how to avoid it you do not want to go to jail. Before the 1 hr meeting ended Lee from Louisville, KY had looked up on the internet and found that Mike Huckabee was going to be in his des Moines office at 12:30 pm.
what followed was just amazing, the whole team went into action. Since Huckabee was a priest in his past life it was suggested that the banner/poster should say some thing with Jesus in it. It is all a blur, at least to me, who did or suggest what. some people went shopping for markers and other needs others drew words with pencil on white sheet.
Here are Kathy, Bob and Mona holding the result at mike Huckabee’s office before being hauled to the city jail.
other pictures and videos of the protests can be seen here and here
All three were released shortly afterwards.
The protests and meetings continued for next three days as more people joined in. at every protest people were arrested except on Thursday at Clinton’s office no one got arrested despite the best efforts of some people. If you look closely you’ll see people blocking the Clinton’s office door from inside by the staff and by protesters from the outside.
Kathy Kelly, the young Jesuit priest, whose name regrettably I cannot recall, and I left for Chicago at about 3:30 pm, I hear the stand off ended when the office was closed at 5 pm.