What I Experienced March 17th

For reference please see the letter I received by email from Maria Anna Gonzalez addressed to "Community Advocate" --- below. Also below is the full text of my poem shared, including a brief introduction that I typically open up with.

I was at the March 17th event in San Bernardino, held by the NAHR as part of the "peace in our communities" contingent of the "Anti-War, Immigration Reform, Peace in our Communities Rally." I shared information about the campaign to establish a U.S. Department of Peace & Nonviolence (current legislation in the House HR808) with attendees and was given an opportunity to speak to the crowd. I shared part of a poem, written just for the day, "Walk in Peace." To the best of my knowledge -- the points discussed in Maria Anna Gonzalez's letter to Community Advocates, in terms of the day of the event are truthful and concise. I cannot speak to the agreed upon terms with the city, nor the current challenges NAHR is facing with the City's $17,600 bill for the event, quite simply, I was not among the organizers.

I would like to share a little bit of my experience that day with the "counter-protestors."

After the event was over I had to walk through the last five or six men standing at the northeast corner across from City Hall to get to where my car was parked - about twenty feet away from where they were standing. One was engaged in a dialogue of sorts, back and forth shouts with a woman who was at the crosswalk from where I had just come. None of them hindered the path to my car or anything as I walked through, I did say, "excuse me" and they graciously cleared the way as I lugged my wheeled suitcase, and juggled my briefcase and banner. But I'm just bold (some would say crazy) enough to give information about the campaign to anyone in my path. Another reason for going back was my not wanting to leave behind a yelling match as I drove away. So, after loading my car, I went back with a handful of campaign flyers and asked if they would be willing to take one. I talked with and was challenged by a couple of them (did I use drugs? is that why I want open borders? Do I not want America to be safe? This must be the reason why I was with "all of those people" over there.) And I was assured, that it wasn't about race or prejudice. Though, the man who had been yelling in the back and forth with the woman, had been offering her a free ride "back home to Mexico."

I was ignored altogether by one man leaning against a fire hydrant, holding an American flag and looking straight forward. He never once turned my way as I held out a flyer to him, and didn't say a word in reply - yea or nay - he just kept looking straight, jaw clenched.

I left not quite believing that it wasn't about race or prejudice, but I was just a little content that during the conversation with the men who would talk with me, the others just sort of lost interest in continuing to stand there, and started back to their own cars, leaving me at the corner alone, to return to my car.

I will be there Wednesday, at the Press Conference at the San Bernardino City Hall, and I will be there at the People's Forum on Thursday. And I will be there, again, in peace.

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Dear Community Advocate:

This is an urgent call to all who advocate for
social change and thewell-being of the poor and oppressed, to attend and
participate at aProtest Press Conference that will be held in front of the
SanBernardino City Hall (300 North "D" Street) on Wednesday, May 16 at Noon for
the purpose of protesting the City's efforts to join theranks of the LAPD and
all other governmental agencies that areimplementing illegal and immoral
measures to repress the righteousvoices and manifestations of those
organizations and individuals such as yourself and the National Alliance for
Human Rights. They are tampering with our First Amendment Rights!

On
March 17, NAHR held a March and Rally in support of an end to theWar in Iraq,
Peace in our Communities, and Immigrant Rights. In an effort to comply with the
City of San Bernardino's policies and procedures, event organizers secured a
permit and liability insurance and met on numerous occasions with city staff and
law enforcement representatives. At no time during any discussion with the
City's agents was there ever any mention of a cost for law enforcement presence.
On March 17, however, San Bernardino City Attorney Penman had a bill hand
delivered to Armando Navarro's home (he signed the permit documents) in the
amount of $5,000 for what Penman called "extraordinary law enforcement costs."
In response, NAHR delivered a3-page letter to both the city attorney and the
mayor rejecting the charges and stating clearly that at no time did the event
organizers ever project participant numbers beyond the 1,000 to 1,500 as stated
in the NAHR's application for permit; therefore, no extraordinary law
enforcement measures were needed. As if that were not enough, the new amount
being billed by the City is more than $17,600, again via a letter sent by
Penman.

The City of San Bernardino is playing campaign politics at the
expense of NAHR; and, with their corrupt tactics, is hoping to discourage other
organizations and/or individuals from exercising their right to public assembly
and freedom of speech. Furthermore, on March 17, they allowed the SOS and
Minutemen groups to assemble across the street from our event, without a
"permit" for either their protest or their use of sound amplification equipment
(bull-horns). Allowing the City of San Bernardino to fraudulently bill NAHR sets
a precedent that will hurt us all. Please help us denounce these corrupt city
officials on May 16.

In an effort to put forth a plan for the continued
preservation of our right to public protest, NAHR will also be holding a
Peoples' Forum onThursday, May 17 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Papa Gallos 2866
9th Street (corner of 9th and Waterman), in the City of San Bernardino. We must
come together and organize against these "Gestapo-like"efforts. So much and so
many are depending on us. Regardless the issue, be it education, political
participation, socio-economic wellbeing, immigrant rights, etc., we need to put
a stop to any public or private effort designed to suppress us.

For more
information call Armando Navarro at 951-333-6819.
Gracias. Maria Anna
Gonzales

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INTRODUCTION

I am a first poet

Then a human

A world citizen

A student

A woman

A wife

A daughter

A granddaughter

A sister

A cousin

A niece

A friend

A latina

A neighbor

A business woman

An American

AND

I am granddaughter to Mending Mother Catalina and daughter and niece to her children who lived under the stress of WWII veteran, Master Sergeant, Valentine, angry, alcoholic, abusive, who suffered from what today we know as PTSD

I am cousin to Iraqi war veterans
– Kenny, USMC

– Russel, USMC

I am aunt to Active Duty Lance Corporal Joseph of the USMC

I am cousin to Active Duty Lance Corporal Devin, USMC on order to ship out into the war zone by the end of this
month. * Devin left April 1st, arrived in Fallujah on the 3rd.

I am cousin to Active Duty Francine, US Navy, who helped build the war ship USS Griffin celebrated this past Thursday in San Diego.

I am cousin to 1^st Gulf war veteran – Sammy of the US Army.

I am cousin to veteran of both the Navy & Army National Guard, Anthony who is currently on his third tour into the war zone as a military contractor.

I promise you… all of them, all of them, all of them
– wanting to make a difference and still part of a poverty draft where they could not see another way to serve, nor any opportunities in this land of plenty – where the economic and social injustices are hard, hard, hard, to overcome
without a good education, an awareness of the world, and a commitment to find all of the information you can before signing your future away…

And I am sister to 19-year old Adam, whose gentle musician’s soul is being targeted by military recruiters right now on his college campus.

Because this is just part of my story…

As a poet, human & world citizen

Along with the voices of all that I am

I am an activist, volunteering, and lobbying for the
public good, lobbying my congressman and imploring my community to support the
establishment a US Department of Peace and Nonviolence.

So I’m going to talk to you about what I think about peace.

So though I didn't get to share this poem in its entirety (time was very very very limited)
-- this is what I wrote for my time at the mic on March 17th at the Peace Rally
in San Bernardino. (some called it an anti-war march, a human
rights/immigration reform march, some called it building peace in our
communities march, some called it all three. I call it a Peace
Rally.)

WALK IN PEACE

it is right
it makes sense
if you stand up
in anger
if you get so mad
that you stand up
to do something
anything
to rage
against the machine
the sytem
that keeps you down
I won't blame you
if you like me
get tired when
you see
the dismissal
in their eyes
oh, it's just you
you, you, you ____ whatever

it is right and
it makes sense
if you stand up
when someone else's
ignorance
rises before you
and tries to
silence
your voice
I know it's hard
to maintain poise
when your brother
or sister
or uncle or aunt
when your family
is trapped in the
traps of social
and economic
injustice
and you stand up
cuz you can't rest
while all this happens
to some of the best
people you know
and love

However,
I will tell you this
though you stand in anger
though infuriated
beyond all measure
though the hits
just keep on coming
at you
you must take a moment
review
and take a breath
and choose
to walk, talk, move
in peace

If what we seek
is liberty
& justice for all
it would make no
sense to me
to ACT out in anger
there's no one
to hate
no enemy
but the one we
create
at least not
anyone who
by seeing them as such
will make your life better
at least not much

So I will repeat
that if you walk
& move & groove
in anything but
peace
you defeat
yourself
before you begin
and though I truly
believe there is
no "they"
- they will win

so how to walk in
peace
how to move in
peace
how to think in
peace
just remember
what it is
you seek
for yourself
for your family
for your community
justice - true justice
rights - all our rights
all our inalienable
undeniable
deepest truth
human rights
remember that
dream that
vision that
hope and picture that
then include
every single person
every one far
and near
and get really
clear
that every
"single person
is a son
or a daughter
of the one
earth mama
and the one
earth papa"
and though I
stole that line from
Michael Franti
I say it because
it's real to me.

this is how you
move in peace
you welcome it in
and you let it stay
and you renew the welcome
every day
I know that I may
be preaching to
the choir
but to keep singing
the song of peace
can only take us
higher
as we work in
peace
towards
peace & justice
it is the hope of
all who are here
gathered here
that we can live
life without fear
and, I know it's hard
that it can seem too much
of them
of they
of us
of stuff
too much to rise above
the anger & the frustration
but I know
there's no other way
to bring
peace & justice
to our nation.

Bobbi Jo Chavarria, March 17, 2007