"When will our consciousness grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?" - Eleanor Roosevelt

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything." - Gregory Akili, ADA member

In the dark days at the start of Resident Bush's new Persian Gulf War, there was a gathering of the liberal elite. They gathered to celebrate the memory of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who passed away in 1962. The Persian Gulf Wars and 911 are pretty nasty events, but they pale beside the destruction caused in World War II. After that war ground to a halt in 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt worked tirelessly on humanitarian causes. She helped form the United Nations and chaired the committee that wrote the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She would certainly be appalled at they way the current administration has trivialized the only organization that works as a forum to solve international disputes and to better living conditions all over the world.

Roosevelt also co-founded Americans For Democratic Action. The ADA has celebrated her legacy every year by handing out awards to outstanding citizens who have contributed to peace and a better society. I knew of the Americans For Democratic Action already but I had never been to an event of theirs. This year's ceremonies had been planned a long time before Bush's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein, but serendipitous scheduling plopped it down right at the start of the shooting on Thursday March 20th. I knew that the Roosevelt Awards dinner would gather a most uniquely invigorated crowd, united in protest against Bush's War, so I decided to attend.

Talk about protest! Because of protest I almost didn't make it to this event! The Federal Building in Los Angeles is very close to the UCLA campus in Westwood. All day on March 20th thousands of people, mostly students, gathered there at the Federal Building on Wilshire Boulevard to protest the start of Bush's War. Not only did they close Wilshire, but it was close enough to the freeway that the demonstrations severely affected that as well. Okay, the 405 hardly moves there on a good day but this time it was choked off. There were police and news choppers circling, shedding enough candlepower with their searchlights for the opening of a new feature movie. But instead it was just the opening of a war. The actual protest was limited to blocking entrances to the building. It was certainly not a riot and a far cry from the fighting taking place in Iraq but still, the conflict cost me a lot of time. In a strange state of annoyance and exhilaration, I drove all the way around UCLA on Sunset to get to the Beverly Hilton. Yes, THAT Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, home of the Liberal Left Wing Hollywood Pinko Elite. You know, the very ones the Bushies demanded to shut the &(*^% up, now that our brave boys are engaged in battle.

When I finally walked in to the Hilton's lobby several dozen people were there, gathered around a large guy in a dark sport coat. (A black tie affair this was not.) I immediately recognized the rotund figure of Michael Moore, standing for pictures with a bust of Eleanor Roosevelt in his hands. To my surprise, near to him in the crowd was Jane Fonda. Yes, that Jane Fonda, who was vilified by conservatives for traveling to Hanoi some thirty years ago during the Vietnam War, and is still vilified by them even though relations have been normalized for years. She looked great and very involved with the people around her.

Since I was a little late the dinner commenced soon after I arrived with actor and activist Mike Farrell doing the introductions for all the speakers. Mike Farrell first said he was "supremely pissed off" at the war. He pointed out that the ADA was not against the troops however and introduced Scott Ritter in the crowd, both a Republican and a marine, who had been in Iraq doing weapons inspections for the UN and had resigned after seven years of service there (read his piece Is Iraq A Threat). Farrell then brought up to the podium the young LA City Councilman, Eric Garcetti, who had sponsored a resolution against the Resident's war which had been passed a few weeks earlier. A stirring speaker with great energy he said, "we must never cede power before we exercise it," referring to the Congressional resolution that gave Bush the power to attack Iraq whenever he wanted.

Soon after the dinner arrived, Michael Moore was introduced to receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Freedom Of Speech Award. In a long career of activism that's included the editorship at Mother Jones magazine, the film Roger And Me and the book Downsize This, last year was an usually productive year for Mike. First, there was the book Stupid White Men. Mike wrote it and it was all ready to go when 911 happened and it nearly did not get released in its wake because of its criticism of Bush. After an email campaign by book sellers SWM became a surprise best seller in 2002. Then in the fall Moore released his most important work yet, Bowling For Columbine, a documentary film that takes a long, uncompromising look at America's love affair with firearms.

The crowd gave Moore a standing ovation as he ambled up to the podium. He first said that you know something is wrong when both "the Pope and the Dixie Chicks are against you." He also called Bush a "ficticious President," just as he would at the Academy Awards three days later, but at the ADA he got nothing but cheers. "9-11 is an excuse," he said, for a host of plans to reduce dissent and allow the Bush Administration to ignore the pressing problems of regular Americans, like lack of jobs and health care. He decried this form of "compassionate terrorism." He laid out that we need to organize "Bush Removal 2004" but that he did not like any of the choices the Democrats were offering up to this point. Several in the audience began shouting out names of possible candidates. Inevitably Moore's own name came up but Mike snorted and said he didn't want to get shot! After a few more quips, Michael was allowed to get back to his "hotel chicken" dinner after a second standing ovation.

The next guest was Tom Hayden, the former California Assemblyman Senator, Former Yippie and Member of the Chicago Eight, and Anti-war Activist from Vietnam to El Salvador. (He's also former husband of Jane Fonda and I couldn't help but think that this was the first time they had met in a public setting in years.) Hayden was there to receive the Eleanor Roosevelt Peace Award. Compared to Moore, Hayden's words were very down to earth, but no less powerful. His first comment was, "This is what history feels like," referring to the mass demonstrations around the world decrying Bush's War. He also denounced the continuing strife in Palestine caused by the Israeli military firing into civilian areas. He said the Spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt was in Rachel Corey, an American woman who was killed a few days earlier while protesting the destruction of Palestinian homes. She had been run over by Israeli bulldozers. He exhorted the crowd to make their voices heard because "World Opinion is a superpower too." "Bush Of Arabia" could be stopped only by this other kind of superpower, he said.

After Tom Hayden's speech, Arianna Huffington introduced lawyer Connie Rice who received the Eleanor Roosevelt Civil Rights Award. Unlike her cousin, Connie Rice is a community activist and ran the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for several years. Soon after thanking the ADA for the award, she said she "was amazed that Pat Buchanan was on the same side she was," against the war. She also mentioned her father was an astronaut-quality master military pilot who refused to drop bombs in the last gulf war. Rather he opted to fly the most dangerous missions of all, helicopter rescue. Oh and her cousin? Resident Bush's National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice. (Oh to be a fly buzzing around that family's picnic!) She went on to say, "We cannot let the fog of this war obscure their agenda" adding "there's not going to be any rights to defend if Patriot 2 goes through," referring to the new, even more paranoid security act the Bush Administration is currently promoting. She also stated unequivocally that "preventive war is illegal," which brought to mind the picture of both Saddam and Bush on trial for war crimes.

Still the night was not done, Richard Foos, former President of Rhino Records received the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award for his enlightened approach to business and the company SweatX received the Eleanor Roosevelt Labor Award for their LA clothing factory. Imagine! A factory that provides the kind of benefits that most Americans expect but are rarely found in the sweatshops of the garment industry. Several employees were on hand to accept the award and in turn gave the other honorees "sweatshop free" jackets embroidered with the SweatX logo (You can find them at www.sweatx.net).

After about three hours of concerted rabble rousing it was time to go home, but not before I shook the hand of both Arianna Huffington and Michael Moore. (Jane got away too quickly.) Days later looking through some of the materials I picked up I found that the inside front cover of the evening's program had been purchased by Frank Zappa's widow, Gail Zappa. Her page had the words, "Wow, what a group! All that blood, sweat, tears, energy and ingenuity! ...now if they could just play "Louie, Louie."

(C) 2003 - Rusty Pipes