Watching City Hall #468

Watching Krissy run for Kongress VIII

(8-7-06)

“I took the button out of the drawer and put it on.
I vowed to not take it off until the war in Iraq was over.”

(Michael Berg, a man of peace)

Nick Berg was his father’s son. Generous. Fearless. Focused. Rare. … He was outnumbered. His kind always are. He went to Iraq to help repair communications towers. For free. When he came back home for a break from the horror of the destruction there, he left his tools because the Iraqis had none. Governments and religious fanatics don’t understand that kind of love. When Nick returned, the FBI and JAG arrested him and held him incommunicado in Iraq for 13 days. Then, Iraqi insurgents kidnapped and murdered him; decapitating him on a home video for all the world to see. Like Jesus, another Jew murdered because he believed in peace and love in an area of the world ruled by hate and greed and bigotry, they didn’t understand him or his motives, so they murdered him. It made his father go to that desk drawer and dig out the anti-war button.

“I bought the button at a rally in Washington but
I tossed it in the drawer when I went home.
I realized after Nick was murdered that
I had never taken responsibility for the war. … ”

I saw Michael Berg at Dance Mission last night. I almost cried and I’m a hard-core asshole. I have kids and I couldn’t/wouldn’t imagine what it must have been like to go through such an experience as he did. Berg is a man upon a quest and, … and this is strange … he is a man at peace. He says that his initial reaction to the brutal death of his son was anger and a desire for revenge. But, then he realized that he had an option. He could allow the negative forces of anger and violence to possess him, or he could choose to confront the demon with love and compassion and understanding and, … forgiveness. He chose the latter and the effect upon him personally is obvious to anyone who sees and listens to him. He literally emanates tranquility. He sipped a bit of water as he spoke (”I favor the decriminalization of all drugs but I don’t take any. Not even coffee. I just drink water.” - later I learned he was on a fast much to the concern of his wife). As he left the theatre, I couldn’t get myself to approach him. I was standing on the sidewalk under the tree named Irene in front of Labohme, chain-smoking joints with several other lefties as Michael left the building. I’m at least gruff and insensitive and I didn’t want to fuck up his vibes, if you know what I mean. I watched as he pulled a plain, white cotton peasant blouse over the screaming bling of campaign buttons and slogans he wore for the show. He had on a simple pair of flip-flops and was bare-headed revealing thinning salt and pepper hair. His glasses were plain and wire-rimmed. His body rides a lanky 6′ frame and he was carrying a backpack. Once on the pavement, his identity was lost amongst the churling chatter of spanish in the unseasonably warm San Francisco night. The intersection is definitely one of those strange places that combine danger and allure. The pro-Castro forces are here. The gangs are here. Undercover local and federal cops swarm the place and have their cameras everywhere. The world watches 24th and Mission. Dance Brigade draws the energy off the street and up onto their stages where they convert it into forms ranging from gentle and sensuous dance to … revolution. I smoke pot with my friends and talk about when R. Crumb sat inside and sketched Keefer as a youthful dancer bouncing barefoot up to dance classes.

Berg was there to support the candidacy of Krissy Keefer who is running for the San Francisco seat to the Congress of the United States of America. As a Green. Michael is running for congress now too. From Delaware. As a Green. Across town, Harland Harrison, uncle of The two were sitting at a simple folding table. Ronnie Gilbert who first sang anti-war songs with Pete Seeger and the Weavers way back in the 40’s opened as moderator. She sang a poem about the sameness of the donkeys and the elephants and it made us laugh and it made us sad. Ross Mirkarimi arrived and took up the MC mantle, dividing questions between Berg and Keefer and adding comments upon issues ranging from the future of nuclear power to what it was like to run for congress as a Green (Berg responded: “People who gathered at my doorstep when my son was murdered, now will print nothing about my candidacy.” - all laughed - the morning paper carried two pages of free advertising for Keefer’s opponent, Nancy Pelosi … get this … strolling in a cornfield in Minnesota - wearing cowboy boots! - How can a poor, barefoot dancing girl compete?) … Mirkarimi was, once again, in the right place at the right time.

Let me run down the audience for you so I can get this thing posted. … San Jose Repertory Chief, Timothy Neary was the head honcho watching the event (my opinion). I sidled over and told her I’d seen the ‘Bjorkestra’ last night and it led to a conversation on best new bands and we both threw up our hands in joy when we realized we had the same new and most favorite band. That would be EVOC. Oh yeah, ‘East Village Opera Company’. Opera and rock n’ roll. I introduced her to Charles Kalish who knew immediately who she was (the family’s all stars, with sister, Holly an internationally acclaimed folk singer) … I left them discussing Greek plays. I tossed over my shoulder that she should write a play for EVOC while she might still get them before they explode into stadium venues.

The most meaningful performance of the evening came from Green Party SFUSD School Board candidate, Jane Kim. Talk about on-point. She took the mike, nodded to the crowd and announced that the “50 to 70″ of them had contributed $700 to the Keefer campaign and that wasn’t bad, but that they should be able to make it to a thousand bucks. Inside of 2 minutes, she had them at $1,015. Heads turned to raise discreet brows at one another. “It’s the politics, Jake.” That kind of thing. If she could get 40% more out of a cow that had already been milked an hour before, what could she do with a thousand people at Medjools?

Danielle Erville and Bulldog columnist, Alexandra Jones sat in the furthest reaches of the stadium seats with me. Marc Salomon and Joe Lynn joined us and nodded in approval as Berg suggested an ‘exchange-citizen’ program whereby Americans would change places with ‘foreigners’ for up to 2 years and followed it by touting a national service program modeled after the Peace Corps but providing an alternative to military service. “And, you get 2 years of higher education for the junior college level for your volunteer work and the education is transferrable if you want to give it to your grandchild or to a complete stranger.” This guy is good.

All the Greens are good. Keefer’s been doing these kinds of shows for other people for 30 years. Next week (the 12th) she’s hosting a birthday celebration for Fidel’s birthday at Dance Mission that includes a wonderful Dance Brigade piece featuring Tina Banchero, Lena Gatchalian, Sarah Bush and Karen Elliot. She introduced the other Green candidates in the audience and they are an impressive group. Starting with Jane Kim and following on to John Rizzo and Bruce Wolf who are running for the Community College Board. I’ve been watching John Rizzo for years on SFGTV. He’s been the Sierra Club spokesman for this area for years. Wolf’s a man for all seasons. An IT networking guru and political strategist who worked with Chris Finn at SF State, Carole Migden and, way back, for Mario Cuomo in New York.

“We have become the ‘loyal opposition’.
The Republicans and Democrats
are one party … with two right wings.”

(Ross Mirkarimi)

Keefer campaign engines, Susan King and Sue Vaughan and Erika McDonald worked with Code Pink’s, Vicki Leidner and Dance Mission’s own, Debbie Lammam guiding the crowd and ‘talent’ through the venerable half-century old dance studios. Krissy’s studly younger brother, Andy ran the light and sound control panels from his crow’s nest above the theatre.

Next

Krissy jetted off to Michigan immediately after the show. A yearly national conclave of lesbians in the woods (lets see Pelosi there) … one of the groups she helped found, long ago. Jane Kim is back on the campaign trail where you should remember that for SFUSD School Board, you should vote for the ‘3 Kims’. Likewise, Rizzo and Wolf. I’ve no idea where the hell Barry Hermanson was, but vote for him too. He’s running for State Assembly against Fiona Ma and he is the real deal while she is just a dealer.

Support Mirkarimi who is running for mayor whether he admits it or not. Start by attending his Rules Committee hearing (he’s Chair thanks to Aaron Peskin) … attend Rules on the 10th (Wed. at 10am) where Ross will conduct a hearing regarding the federal governments crushing of California state and SF local laws shielding reporters from revealing sources and research materials to cops. This is a big one, folks; Josh Wolf sits in prison to prove it. There will be a ‘rent party’ at Dance Mission for Wolf on Saturday, the 19th. Block it out. We’re gonna fill your Saturday nights until the election, kids. Green Party alternatives of quality. Not all Greens, either. Josh’s uncle, Harland Harrison is running on the Libertarian ticket against Tom Lantos for US Congress in District 12.

Right now, our thoughts are with Josh Wolf. Leno aide, Julian Davis and I ran with Ross and Josh Wolf for supe in District 5 in ‘04. Julian wants to do a series of fundraisers for Josh and although we all want him out and free of charges tomorrow, we all will work to see that he has a home to come home to.

I mean, look at that, folks. Libertarians. Greens. Democrats. Josh Wolf is a uniter. Even as the fascist Republican state crashes down upon villagers in third world countries and reporters in San Francisco … the result is the same. The opposite of what they wanted. They drive us together like Shiites and Sunnis in opposition to their tyranny.

One more

Leave it to Keefer to know the future before you do. Otherwise, how do you account for the fact that she wrote and performed a play (’Dry Ice’) on Global Warming that predicted the “inundation of New Orleans” 6 months before it happened? More recently, how do you explain that she scheduled what can only be called a ‘memorial’ piece for Castro (’Dear Fidel’) a full year ago and scheduled it for reprisal this next Saturday night (August 12th - 7:30pm) … with SF Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman and Dottie Paye and music by Lichi Fuentes and Maria Medina Serafin … and Phil Hutchings and Cindy AO’Hara of Casa Cuba Resource Center … “with birthday remarks and update on Cuban 5 … With surprise guests!!!”

You’ve heard enough. We all need you for the next 100 days. Josh Wolf. Michael Berg. Krissy Keefer. Ross Mirkarimi. John Rizzo. Todd Chretien. Bruce Wolf. Jane Kim. Kim Knox. Barry Hermanson. Harland Harrison. Chris Daly. Ross Mirkarimi. And, of course, you can always buy Jens and I a beer if you see us sulking in the corner at an event.

good week: