I like Minneapolis and I like Saint Paul. Flying in I saw lots of trees. Down on the ground, people are nice and polite-which is huge, in my book. The Mall of America has a store that made it possible for me to buy a mug with the Romanian flag on it.
Tons of people-both locals and people in town for the Republican National Convention– have come to check out the cell, and we’ve only been open a day and a half. Local volunteers like Marcus, who is taking time out from his Ph.D. thesis to hand out fliers and is letting us park at his house and use his bathroom, are awesome. Thank you.
The mood has been somber, due to Hurricane Gustav, but it looks like the threat has now passed. I’ve read news reports of protests and/or police response turning violent, but haven’t seen anything myself-everyone I’ve encounter near the cell has been very polite, aside from one guy who gruffly said something about killing everyone. Sigh. Oh, and another guy who had his own angry take on the “they hate our freedoms and way of life so we should torture people and lock them up forever and anything less is just naïve” argument. Groan.
Anyway, back to all the polite people. It’s been great to meet delegates, convention workers, anti-war protestors, police, secret service (I think), veterans, conservatives, liberals and locals who agree that the U.S. government must abide by U.S. and international law. I believe that a new consensus on this point has emerged, one that cuts across political ideology and includes members of the military and intelligence communities. But we all have to keep pushing until that consensus becomes reality. No matter who wins the election–and here I can insert a point near and dear to my apolitical heart: Amnesty International does not support or oppose any political candidate or political party, we call on all governments to abide by international human rights law and standards–it will be up to people like us–people who want our friends and family, and yes, even strangers, to live in a better world–to make sure it happens. Idealistic? Maybe. Realistic? Absolutely. (Thanks Robert.)
Anyway, sorry for the same old song and dance of poor grammar, rambling and too many em dashes-of course it’s the middle of the night and my head has been cooked by the humid heat. And I’m still distracted by total and utter sorrow at my failure to make it to the Minnesota State Fair/eat chocolate covered bacon. (Is it on a stick? I like to think it is…)
So, after weeks and weeks of calls, meetings, negotiations, research, mailings, and brainstorming, the big event — having the Cell in St Paul at the Republican National Convention — is almost here. I went to school in the Twin Cities (Go Gophers!), but it still seems surreal. Billboards up, thousands of handbills distributed, ads on the radio and in the paper. I have maps of various marches, street closures, and protest sites; permits and certificates of insurance; loads of things in orange. Estimates are 30,000 to 50,000 protesters will be at the Convention, in addition to the delegates, guests, journalists, lobbyists, and of course the residents of St. Paul! I am very hopeful that our “1 1/2 tons of orange momentum” as it’s been dubbed stands out in the crowd!
