Breasts Not Bombs -The events of June 30th in Union Square and July Forth in Mendocino and responses
Early this morning I got the word that London had been bombed. I was told by the producer at a radio station in Seattle that had planned to have me as a guest to talk about Breasts Not Bombs, but needed instead to focus on the bombing and wanted to reschedule. His words brought me to tears. Oh, no, no. Not another horrible tragedy. I had a terrific desire to go into the streets again with our enormous Breasts Not Bombs banner and stand in mourning for all the innocent people caught up in a Tsunami of rage. But I found refuge in the local pond and swam in deep cold water to relieve the pain.
In the wake of our BREASTS NOT BOMBS demonstration in Union Square on June 20th, and July 4th in Mendocino, I felt it was important to address some of the feedback our movement is getting. I had the opportunity to be on National radio station WTTH out of Seattle because of the demonstration. WTTH is a right wing Radio outlet that hosts folks like Bill O'reilly, Michael Savage (if the name fits wear it), Rush Limbaugh and my host for the one o'clock hour, Michael Medved, the former movie critic. Mr. Medved was anxious to speak to me immediately about the size of my breasts which has now been documented by the Chronicle, I easily recaptured the debate, thanks to George Lakoff, to focus on the issue at hand, soft tissue.
I explained to Mr. Medved that while he might be obsessed with the size of my bosom, it is important to realize how are American culture has taken women's bodies and airbrushed them into impossible perfection, whereas my body is real, strong and mighty powerful and the reason I have taken off my top to reveal that fact is because this is an "emergency" Those of us who stand half naked feel like we have very little access to media, government and the public at large and are willing to go to these extreme measures to put attention on the facts that WAR IS INDECENT, TORTURE IS INDECENT. LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ABOUT GOING TO WAR IS INDECENT. But Mr. Medved was not persuaded. He wanted to then meander into stranger territory, again using the Chronicle as his source, rather than myself. He wanted to play the "what about your nine year old daughter's presence at the demonstration and her exposure" issue. He cited the man from Boston who hesitated to post a picture of me with my daughter on the internet. I informed Michael that it sounded like this guy was perverted and that was also a huge problem of society. The fact that little girls are used in pornography, prostitution and abuse of all kinds. But what was witnessed that day in San Francisco was an act of protest from a young girl who is so strong about her feelings against war that she is already a pro on the bullhorn. She was also safe. Safe in my presence and many others who clearly understood why we had come this far to make this poweful statement across from Macy's
I think the most important aspect of these demonstrations that are being overlooked is the INNOCENCE. There is nothing lewd or sexual about these events. We are standing exposed and vulnerable. Medved completey missed the humor regarding the presence of my daughter's American Girl Dolls sans tops with their own little tiny protest signs. He missed all the major points of the article, like the fact that Sargent Carl T (His real last name) Said that what we were doing was not illegal and he would not do anything to stop us. Medved did try to assert that our actions would egg on the terrorists because it perpetuates the idea that America is the land of infidels and here are these women exposing their breasts when Muslim women in some countries can't even uncover their heads. He went to a commercial break before I had a a chance to say that yes, the oppression of Women is worldwide and extremely violent and it is perpetuated by rich and powerful men. The commercial break came in handy as well as I attempted to reveal my talents and abilities as an Actress, writer and activist in response to a man who said that 40 DDD was my IQ.
Although I was given a toll-free number for our supporters to call in on, none could get through. For it is true that I hear countless words of appreciation for the courage it takes to act in this manner. . One gentlemen who attended the SF demonstration called me afterwards to say it was the most satisfying and moving demonstration he had attended ever and he'd been doing Anti-war activisim for many years. Women participating in the demo say they feel empowered deeply surprised at the presence they feel, the ordinary becoming sacred. We are also very impressed with the respect we get from those who witness our action. People are amazed, entertained, educated and hopefully changed. People actually stopped shopping to listen and witness what we were doing.
However on Medved';s show, every single caller who magically got through on the line, was against us. The most common criticism was the claim that I hated the military and I had no appreciation for those in uniform who defend my right to make use of the 1st amendment (under which nudity in a political demonstration is protected) There was the young women who had a desk job in the military, there was the mother of a soldier in Iraq at this moment, there was a man accusing me of lying about using the National Guard because our troop were so depleted. There was cruelty. It was as if these folks felt as though I was the enemy as though they were at war with me yet they had no idea who I was. Only that I had bared my breasts or as one woman said, grabbed the headlines with "this stunt" I said I had stood in protest for a long time against the actions of this administration. Carried signs, marched, signed petitions, but it wasn't until I took my top off that I got on the Michael Medved show. I tell you, not a laugh. These folk are deadly serious. That was the scary thing. I felt that these callers wanted to hurt me and that was before the e-mails started coming. Vicious attacks. But I've decided that from now on when I do these types of shows that I will respond with the age old response, with a activist twist, "Bombs and stones may break my bones, but names will never harm me."
There are others in my own community as well who have taken issue with my approach. Accusing me of "wanting attention" Well, I must admit it's true. We want attention on what is decent and what is not. We want attention to the fact that Women and children and babies and old people are being killed with American Tax Dollars. We want attention to the fact that the American Military is participating in torture of people who are being detained in secret prisons without due process or even any charges filed against them.we want attention to the fact that our sons and daughters are killing people and being killed and maimed daily in Iraq. We want attention to the power of the Patriot Act and the disappearance of the 4th and 8th amendment. We want attention on the fact that poverty is killing so many people and we are spending billions and billions of dollars to kill even more innocent people. We want attention on the fact that because of indecent consumption of natural resources and fuel that Global climate change will make man made tragedy look mild up against what mother natures' got in store. We want attention to the Sacred Feminine, The mother, the maiden, the crone. We want to shift a paradigm that thinks it's just peachy to use Women's breasts to sell cars, alcohol, and cigarettes, but makes it illegal to nurse a baby in public. Yeah, We want attention and I pray that every single woman in the world would appreciate that same kind of attention. I pray that everyone realize that we are all naked. That we hide our flaws and our fears under our clothes. I pray that the lonely, angry people that called that show find a safe bosom to lay their head against and hear the heart beat of the mother and remember where they came from. To remember what is decent. Kindness, honesty, integrity, grace, purity, and humanity.
More Sites with Pictures of Our Protests:
http://flickr.com/photos/jaytamboli/46793979/
http://flickr.com/photos/stuntedgrowth/46479668/
http://flickr.com/photos/stuntedgrowth/46479091/
http://flickr.com/photos/48954456@N00/46453233/
http://flickr.com/photos/blainepen/46284706/
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=55773165&cdi=0
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=55773134&cdi=0
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=55773130&cdi=0
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=55773003&cdi=0
http://www.pbase.com/kayakbiker/image/49853408
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2985/810/1600/DSCF0401.jpg
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/24406042/
To see a large Flickr photos, Click on the top left of the photo, where it says 'All Sizes'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalgrace/51810354/ Caption here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalgrace/51445118/in/photostream/ Caption here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billyhunt/53475722/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billyhunt/53475754/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jilliant/47439076/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16877202@N00/46251404/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48954456@N00/46450371/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62308226@N00/48235736/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62308226@N00/48235737/in/photostream/
http://flickr.com/photos/codywyoming/62965342/
http://flickr.com/photos/codywyoming/62965302/
http://flickr.com/photos/codywyoming/62965277/
http://flickr.com/photos/btjones/47348924/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/evill1/46524100/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56432120@N00/47730562/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54207333@N00/46702973/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54207333@N00/46702920/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/85541381@N00/56353712/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mlliu/55073181/
http://flickr.com/photos/jaytamboli/46793979/
http://flickr.com/photos/stuntedgrowth/46479668/
http://flickr.com/photos/stuntedgrowth/46479091/
http://flickr.com/photos/48954456@N00/46453233/
http://flickr.com/photos/blainepen/46284706/
To see large orangeclouds photos, click at the bottom of the original photo where it says ' other sizes'.
http://orangeclouds115.zoto.com/user/image_detail/IMG.18.7aec7805055e84b03647b3c2ab60ba2e-_CAT.0_DET.1/date-desc/0-30
http://orangeclouds115.zoto.com/user/image_detail/IMG.0.8ae6c74b3446372e60cd97a9b0994681-_CAT.0/date-desc/0-30
http://orangeclouds115.zoto.com/user/image_detail/IMG.15.7d1693025abc05ea120bf339151df4a7-_CAT.0/date-desc/0-30
http://orangeclouds115.zoto.com/user/image_detail/IMG.14.7ea7a90ed52adca2cbfb57427ab58d6c-_CAT.0/date-desc/0-30
To view a larger Webshots photo, click 'View full Size' at the bottom of each photo:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/472411122/472411122ihcTiD
http://community.webshots.com/photo/472410897/472410897jCshbU
http://community.webshots.com/photo/465293351/465293351MsjFGR
http://community.webshots.com/photo/459486257/459486257NebkPw
http://community.webshots.com/photo/479898053/479898053mtigKi
http://community.webshots.com/photo/462751781/462751781ZqlmGS
http://community.webshots.com/photo/487085069/487085069NyBBBn
http://community.webshots.com/photo/472785255/472845169YUnSbG
http://community.webshots.com/photo/465293019/465293019nXmqap
http://community.webshots.com/photo/460612625/460612625OEypPU
http://community.webshots.com/photo/460612928/46061 2928NjxvNI
http://community.webshots.com/photo/460613099/460613099vmiHwd
http://community.webshots.com/photo/460613128/460613128SbWkSY
http://www.deviantart.com/view/25049222/
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/8/134419/074
http://www.wnpj.org/node/870
http://www.brainshrub.com/adventures/dcpeacemarch2005/breasts-not-bombs.jpg
http://www.capecodpeaceandjustice.org/imgs/s24dc_gallery/pages/page_20.html
http://photos1.blogger.com/img/247/2320/640/IMG_0373.jpg
http://www.thevillager.com/villager_127/protestpotpourri.html
