Are you against the war? Do you have enough time to type a short comment to this diary? If you can answer yes to both these questions, then I need your help today.
On selected days over the last four months, my local peace group in Lansing, Michigan has been conducting an anti-war protest called Petals for Peace.
When Congress is in recess, we select a day and delivery flowers to our Congressman as an act of protest. At the beginning of each delivery day, we send a letter, so that he understands each flower is another voice against the war.
In the past, bloggers have joined in and really helped in the effectiveness of the protest.
We have delivered approximately 850 flowers so far. Today we want to try to reach the 1,000 flower mark. I’ve had forty-four people pledge to give flowers in advance. So we are still a ways short of our goal. And the only way to make up the flower-deficit is with your help. Delivering a flower is super easy this time around for bloggers. Just pick one of the following methods.
How Can I Deliver a Flower Today
- The easiest way. Just write a note in the comment section. Leave your name (blog name/first name and initial/however you want to be identified) and a very short peace message. And your message will find a flower being delivered today. (This offer is limited to the first 106 entries).
- The second easiest way. There is a flower shop right next door to Rep. Rogers’ office. You can phone them toll free at 1-866-476-8608. They will take your order for one flower. And a brief message. And deliver it on your behalf. They’ve been great over the course of this event. They are in no way affiliated with the peace movement — so this is not some scam. But be good to them. They are so cool. And be kind to Ruth.
- The third easiest way — but obviously the coolest. Draw a quick picture of a flower (don’t worry about your art work). Or for the tech savy you can use the logo picture. Blogger dada has some cool links to flower pictures in the comments to this diary as well. Put on a peace message if you want, but please be respectful. Then fax it to Rogers’ office at (517) 702-8642.
- And on the off chance you are in the Lansing area, deliver it in person. Buy it at Bancrofts (1417 E. Michigan Ave. Lansing), if you like, and walk it one block west to Rogers’ office (1327 E. Michigan Ave. Lansing, Michigan). Some members of the peace group will be their picketing from 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. if you would like to say, “Hi.”
And most important. I am unable to count your delivery unless you let me know how you did it. You can leave your delivery info in comments section, and I’ll get it. Or you can e-mail it to me (tjayolson@hotmail.com).
A couple of important notes. We have spread out our operations to include a couple of other Congress people since we have started this all.
Last month, we delivered to Rep. Joe Schwarz (R-MI-07). And we will again today. If you have time for an extra delivery his contact info is (6604 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing, MI; Fax 517-327-7488). As a result of our deliveries, we have opened a dialogue with his office. We met with them yesterday to discuss the war. So if you are delivering a message to Schwarz, please be very kind. And acknowledge their willingness to at least discuss the war.
This month, we are introducing another Congressman to Petals for Peace. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA-09). He was nominated by blogger tampopo. She will be the local organizer for his office. But if you have the time, please fax him a Petal for Peace as well. His contact information is (100 Lincoln Way East, Suite B, Chambersburg, PA — Fax 717-264-0269). And if you wouldn’t mind, throw a comment in saying when you faxed to Shuster. We would love to spread out the deliveries so that he gets at least one an hour.
Thank you very much for your past participation. And for your help in reaching 1,000 this time around. I will check back later in the day to respond. (I’m off to organize/deliver/etc.)
Please recommend this and unrecommend the other Petals for Peace diaries, if you could.
This is also up at Daily Kos and could use your recommends their.
Thanks for helping out. I’ll talk to you all later in the day.
I have got to get out of the house. If there are any of you out there who want to work on this, I’d suggest recycling the diary at Daily Kos as often as possible — with your own good touches. It has worked in the past. Even if we can’t get it on the rec list, we can keep it scrolling down the pages. Post your links here, so I can catch up with your diaries later.
Thanks for efforts.
Is going out to let Shuster understand the deliveries:
Greater Lansing Network Against War and Injustice
July 7, 2006
Hon. Bill Shuster
U.S. Representative
Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District
100 Lincoln Way East, Suite B
Chambersburg, PA 17201
Re: An Open Letter on Ending the War in Iraq
Dear Representative Shuster,
The Greater Lansing Area Network Against War & Injustice is a grass-roots organization that came together in Lansing, Michigan during the run-up to the war in Iraq. We have been active in advocating against the war since that time.
In March, we started delivering flowers to our local Congressman, Mike Rogers (R-MI, 8th). Each flower represents the voice of an individual who wants to end the war. We mean these flowers as a sincere expression of our desire to stop the war and as a call to our Congressman to represent our will.
Our efforts have been aided with the help of the Internet, so that Rep. Rogers is now receiving flowers from several different countries and over a dozen different states. It seems that there are many people who are concerned enough about this war to take action, with the hope that our lawmakers will start representing the majority of Americans who believe the war was wrong and who want it brought to an end. A constituent in your district participated in the Rogers’ event over the Internet, and has suggested that flowers should also be delivered to your office.
Today we will be asking that concerned individuals deliver flowers to your office, in addition to continuing deliveries to Rep. Rogers’ office. We hope that you will accept these flowers in the spirit in which they are given. Americans understand that this was a war based on deception. They want their leaders to find a way to stop the killing now. We have wasted too many lives (both the lives of our soldiers and of innocent Iraqis) and too many dollars pursuing this ill-conceived war.
We do not see this as a partisan issue. We would welcome Republican leadership in bringing America back in to the light of day. Attached is a list of legislation pending in the House. Most of the Bills have been co-sponsored by Republican lawmakers of good-faith, who see the need to end this war as soon as practicable. Please consider this legislation. Or propose legislation of your own to end this war.
Peace,
Terry Olson
GLNAWI
Thanks, Joe, for your relentless energy.
Everyone, please go over to kos to give the orange version some love before it scrolls off.
Thanks for the try ask. Just keep throwing up diaries with the basic info, if you can. Maybe more people will catch on.
Onward.
Flower sent, Joe.
Thanks ask.
Flower has been faxed.
Thank you. Very cool. Another petal for peace. Over 900 served.
To those who have already posted and phoned and faxed. Great job. Good start. I was on the road pretty early, delivering flowers. And committing more civil infraction disobedience. I was stopped twice today. A parking cop. She let me go (I didn’t even realize I was illegally parked). And a no-seatbelt ticket. Yes, they really will stop you for just not wearing a belt. Why does it always happen when I’m in activist mode? Also, there was a sheriff at Schwarz’s office when I delivered, using laser to tag cars. Police state today. Must be quota day.
I’ve got a quota, too. We need a hundred or two flowers faxed and phoned in.
I’m hopeful that some of you will take this information and throw diaries up around the Internet. Keep trying at Kos. Keep it on the recent list at least. Keep hammering the “Petals for Peace” in the title. Like advertising. They just have to see it enough. I’ve got to run and picket soon. Best. Thanks. BoJo.
One last thing before heading out. Delivered flowers to Rogers and Schwarz. Brought a package of Claritin for staff at Rogers office — as they claimed to have locked doors on us last month because someone in the office had allergies. They refused the Claritin — despite my assurances that it worked well.
And just faxed my kind of poorly drawn daisy to Shuster. My wife and kids will be faxing some handdrawn flowers later.
Okay. Out of here.
Add another faxed flower to the list BJ. Thanks again for all that you do. You are one hell of an activist!
Thanks for participating alohaeezy. We’re all one hell of an activist site.
Hey BJ – thanks for the note sent to Shuster’s office.
I am not much of an organizer, nor very organized either. But what the hey, you work for peace with the people you have.
First, I noticed that a letter from Rep. Shuster had a different address than the one I gave you. So I ended up doing a kind of walking tour through Chambersburg. The address on the statonary was an old address. (Met a fellow who told me Shuster had moved. I wondered aloud if he didn’t want to be found. The fellow agreed that Shuster might be difficult to track down which was no surprise. Good exchange.)
The address I gave you is correct. Shuster isn’t at this office very much. The staff is there to help constituents and to pass along things. I gave them my impatien and my letter which they said they would be sure to get to Rep. Shuster.
I have no idea how many others from my community may have sent flowers. I am not a good recordkeeper. I am not sure if this action counts even as a baby-step – maybe a lean in the direction I need to go is more accurate.
I did learn. Now I know where to park and where the office is. And next time I will organize a bit more before hand, having toured some of Chambersburg, I will expand the tour and find a florist. I still don’t know about the tallying part.
And having done it once, I can speak a bit more assuredly when I ask others to get involved too.
The lyrics to a kids’ song comes to mind:
“Inch by inch, row by row;
Gonna make this garden grow”
Petals for Peace now in PA.
Great work tampopo. Outstanding. I faxed a letter to him. And a flower of my own. And I’ve read and heard that a number of people did the same. I’m almost positive we got him over a flower and hour. Outstanding.
You are and activist with a capital “A.” Way to go!!!
When I get a chance to relax and look at numbers, I’ll write you. And I want you to post a follow-up diary on your trip — if you have enough energy. Everybody should get a chance to read it and recommend it. Did you ask for a follow-up meeting with the good Congressman in your letter?
Awesome work.