I'm on the Ground at the RainbowPUSH Rally in Atlanta; this is a live blog

[demodonkey]

Stevie Wonder on now... he is rockin...

Just heard Maxine Waters, Joe Lewis, and Nancy Pelosi

I think there were at least 10,000 in the march, it was incredile!!! Blocks and Blocks long. Bernie I ran into one of the film crews from Nashville, they said hi.

More as it happens...

Marybeth

[madmax]

1. Wish I was there!

You rock Marybeth. We're all with you in spirit. :hug:

[libnnc]

2. Wish I was there too

Keep cool and keep us posted!

[ClayZ]

54. I wish I was there and in Crawford!

I need a split personality!
:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:



:kick:

[demodonkey]

3. Stevie is done... New Pres of NAACP

Bruce S. Gordon -- today NAACP declares that the Voting Rights Act is the most effective Civll Rights Act in our time... will do what it takes to get it renewed. Calls for Justice Dept to reject attempt to turn the clock back to 1955... will we let them do that. NO! IF Iraq has the right to vote and democracy, WHY SHOULDN't WE?? We demand it and we will get it.

The Herndon Stadium is about three-fourths or more full. I don't know what it seats but the crowd is HUGE.

Bush -- methinks this is your walk-up call.

[fasttense]

4. Thanks demodonkey. It's great to hear (I mean read). n/t

[Sunkiss BlueStar]

5. Thats Great!! Atlanta needs to show off its Blue Peeps

Wish I was there too!
Send some love to Augusta, have fun.
:yourock:

[RebelOne]

6. I live just northwest of Atlanta and I would love to be there, but

there is no way that I am going to fight the traffic in the downtown area.

[demodonkey]

7. Various Groups supporting the VRA - KEEP THE VOTE ALIVE!

Andy Stern SEIU
Anne Marie Tallman MALDEF

[demodonkey]

8. Maxine Waters Introducing for ONE MINTE EACH:

John Coyers!!! DO WE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING? We need the VRA extended immediately. We need section 5 the preclearance. States that violate will have to be precleared. Message to all our friends across the US.. we want the VRA extended THIS year not next or 2007.

Water:We work in coalition. We now have the Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, and the Asian Caucus.

Rep Valella (sp?) from Latino Caucus. Honored to be here and we insist that the RA be reaffirmed in its entirity. It is a tool to empower not devide. The VRA is a mechanism that empowers our communities. We will win together.

Waters: How important is the vote? If you give us back the Congress this one will be chair of Wasy & Means.

Charile Rangel: 40 yrs ago some of us thought we won thebattle but we have just begun the fight. One day somebody will ask what were we doing when they tried to take it away from us? You can tell your kids that you were here. 43 strong men & women in the Black Caucus.

Waters: They tried to take her out... but she is here...

Cynthia McKinney: We are here to celebrate one of the greatest fruits shaken from the tree... we have to empower new generation of tree shakers. Strange fruit is now... perverted... strange fruit such as police brutality w/ dead citisens in GA. America's tree is becoming twisted and dead because we need tree shakers. Haliburton gets paid, but our black farmers are not paid. The tree of opportunity becomes twisted if we do not shake the tree and sow the seeds of justice for the next generation. We want life liberty & the right to vote -- ON MACHINES THAT COUNT ACCURATELY. We will not be snookered or even Bushwacked.

[demodonkey]

9. Fitrakis down on the infield now... fixing to get intervied by someone

Bob you rock!

[demodonkey]

10. Melvin Williams from the Williams Brothers

"I am living testimony... and I thank the Lord I am still alive...

[demodonkey]

12. Bob here

DU is the singlegreatest souce of information in America... keep up the good work and when we come above ground Democracy will be restored in America.

This is Bob on MB'sd account.

[SharonRB]

24. Thanks for all you've done and continue to do, Bob

[Bill Bored]

11. Recommended!

Will Jesse Jackson be speaking?

[demodonkey]

13. Judge Greg Mathis:

Soundrels STOLE THE ELECTION... it is criminal to run up a bill of trillions and send our sons and daughters to die... what they are doing is criminal they all need to be locked up! The enemy of democracy attacks voting rights here while they claim to be for democracy in Iraq. If you shoot me you better not miss me.. they shot and missed when they stole the past two elections.. we're coming back to get them. We're coming back to take back Congress and the Givernorships... we're comin back to take the Presidenmcy in 2008.. we're coming back...

[demodonkey]

15. Maxine Waters introduces Barbara Lee... then

BL: I would not be a member of Congress if it were not for the sacrifices and blood that was spilled for the right to vote. I bring you greetings from Oakland CA... We are here to say we will keep the VOTE ALIVE.. MLK said the arc of history is long but it bends toward justice. We have come a long way from Jim Crow and the Poll Tax.. but we have a long way to go. The last 2 elections were stolen. Look at this unecessary immoral war. Thousands have died on both sides... it is time to bring our troops home. What has happened to Democracy at home? Out tax dollars should go to impriving schools rather than building prisons. 350 Billion should go to health care for all

If it weren't for the folks who died 40 years ago for the right to vote.. we want our freedom NOW and we want the VRA exrended and bring troops home from Iraq!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. Judge Mathis?!! From TV? cool. nt

Last call for the PDX DU'er MeetUp Saturday Express! Train Leaves at 7PM!

:party: :bounce: :beer: :)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=174x2534

[YvonneCa]

14. Thank you for doing this...

...I'm listening out in California.:patriot:

[demodonkey]

16. Maxine Waters:

We are ready to take back the house... first African American woman ever to serve on ways & means Stephanie Tubbs-Jones!

How long... not long. How long... not long... in a little city in my state we lost 20 marines at one time. Join me in a moment of silence for those marines. John Legend said "where are they" Cynthia McKinney said where are the tree shakers. I want you to day "I\'m on the battlefield" (I'm on the battlefield) for our Lord. It is our duty to say Section 5 in 2005 of the VRA. In OH I fought with the SOS when he didn't want us to use Provisional Ballots.. I got on the radio and said don't go home with out one. They stole it in OH.... thank God on Jan 6 I was able to get a Senator to stand up. Section 5 in 2005.

Waters: Bush we are coming to get you.

Gewn Moore: Yall don't know me... just know I am the 43rd member of the Black Caucus. I am from a place where they don't even know there are African Americans. We have the fastest growing population. We elected Bush and we elected me and they are mad about it. They are coming to WI and they say that us comingout to the polls and not election GWBush is VOTER FRAUD. It's Natiion Time.

[demodonkey]

17. Shout out for the NAACP-- bail bondsman of the Movement nt

[demodonkey]

18. Harrry Belefonte

DAY-O....

That's a wake-up call for GWB

I am going to listen now... MB

[suegeo]

31. Harrry Belefonte! I love Harrry Belefonte!

n/t

[ailsagirl]

63. Oh, me too!!! He rocks!! They all do

I wish I could give each one a huge hug!!

:loveya:

[jillan]

20. CNN is reporting on this!!!!

Even showing live shots!:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[demodonkey]

21. Quick words about the scene here....

A big stage at one end of the field, with a scrim backdrop containing a giant photo of Martin Luther King and Lyndon Johnson (possibly when the VRA was signed, I can't see too well.) On the sides of the stage there are "teasers" of giant signs which say Rainbow/PUSH Keep the Vote Alive! Off stage left (right of audience) is a Jumbotron. Lots of booths from SEIU, Rainbow/Push, AFSCME, etc. Lots of yellow T shirts form UFCW and NAACP... also yellow signs from NAACP saying things like "Lift Every Voice and Vote" (I bought one of these to carry in the MArch). It is HOT... about 90-some but nice breeze. However my cell phone is so hot the darn keys wpn't work.

I am sitting on the field. Met lots of AAR fans and a few who want to join DU (no actual DUers). As yall know I saw Bob... I haven't run in to David Cobb yet, but he is here is here though! Randi Rhodes is supposed to be here but I haven't seen her (I really never met Randi before.)

Please forgive typos and mispelled words, it is bring sun and hard to see the computer screen...


Litttle Zion just sang and played the paino...CUTE and talented kid!

[demodonkey]

22. Andrew Young

John Lewis really got a fractured skull at Selma... I just got a whack in the head. The reason voting is on Tuesday is that way back that was the best day from farmers; there is no reason why we can't vote on a weekend or holiday so more people can vote. Thank you for being willing to stay here in the sun... your brains have been percolating and you will get good ideas for weeks and years to come. So keep on keeping on!

[SharonRB]

23. Thanks for doing this, Mary Beth

I turned on the TV and have't seen anything yet, but I'll keep watching. I also haven't seen anything yet about Cindy Sheehan and about 50 people at the Crawford ranch trying to see the Shrub.

[ailsagirl]

64. demodonkey, thank you so much for the up-to-the-minute news!

WOW!! You have BECOME the media!!

:bounce: :patriot:

[demodonkey]

25. United for Peace and Justice

Anti-War and Democracy are the same... we are not going totake it anymore. Mention that it is the 40th anniversary of the VRA but it is also the 60th Anniversary of the FIRST time anyone ever used a weapon of mass destruction. We honor both the people who work for the right to vote and for peace.

Then....

State Rep. GA Alicia Thomas Morgan... (a young new state rep) Now is the time to not worry about what car we drive or how many contracts we get or are we going to stand up for the right to vote. We come from a great people. We gotta do more than just march or be cute in our respective homes. We have to make our elected officials responsible. It is young people who always take the torch, so those of us who are young should take it now with grace and dignity. Stand tall and will dignity and for justice for all of us. Thank you for accepting the torch and moving on with the struggle.

Stephanie Jones (National Urban League): Today is a very special day. The VRA gives us all power over who governs us. We tell Congress, don't tell us you support the right to vote -- show us. Reauthorize the VRA. If you turn your back on us, we will turn our backs on you. If you support judges who tear down Civil Rights, don't show up at our MLK Breakfast and say you too have a dream. When you vote you count. We will count.

[Boredtodeath]

35. Alicia Morgan is a very bright shining star

I've heard her speak twice in the last few days - she IS our future.

26 yrs. old and already served 2 terms in the state house. A great speaker and amazing personality.

Watch this lady - we'll see a lot of her.

Sorry I missed you at the march, MB....it would have been great to meet you.

[demodonkey]

26. ROBERTA FLACK

on now... Singng The Impossible Dream... I will listen...

[demodonkey]

28. Andy is here...

That song is him.

I am crying.

[merh]

37. (((hug)))

Andy is there with you. :hug:

Thanks for being there for us, Mary Beth. :hug:

[demodonkey]

30. O Freedom...

She "sings GREAT"!

Roberta you rock!

[politicasista]

27. Thanks for doing this

:)

[ulysses]

29. damn - I should have been there.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

32. Demodonkey, you're a peach - Thanks for keeping us posted.

[hedda_foil]

33. Thank you so much for doing this, Marybeth!

Your live blog is wonderful. I wish I were there today instead of tomorrow, but Andy is there with you!

hug,
Joan

And for heavens sake, folks, recommend this thread

[demodonkey]

34. Nova for Jehova... Hip Hop minister..." It's G-O-D til I D-I-E"

It's rocking here now...

[demodonkey]

36. Youngest Presenter today...

Christian Altler (AGE 8) (ope I got his name spelled OK... he is a dear)

Reciting MLKs I Have a Dream Speech. FROM MEMORY.

What a great kid!

[demodonkey]

39. That Child just did the WHOLE MLK speech from Memory!

[katinmn]

38. Thanks, Marybeth! Hello to Bernie,too!

:hi:

[katinmn]

40. What a great day for peace.

You there and Cindy Sheehan at the ranch.

http://www.iconoclast-texas.com/News/2005/31-40/31news02.htm

[demodonkey]

41. John Bonifaz on now...

Mentions David Cobb and Michael Badnarik and the Ohio Recount... Thanks jesse Jackson for support in Ohio. Still fighting for a fair count.

We support the right to vote. The 15th Amendment and 19th Amendment and 24th Amendments all passed after great struggle.

The VRA passed in the heat of the Civil Rights movement, and the stuggle continues today. When voters are turned away after a 10 hour wait, all of us suffer. When they cannot read the ballot in their language all of us suffer. When the votes are NOT PROPERLY COUNTED all of us suffer.

Were it not for David Cobb and Michael Badnarik we would not have had a recoiunt. We need to fight for candidates rights.

We are here today because of MLK, Fannie Lou Hamer, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, (mantioned many). We are here today to support the VRA -- reauthorize the Voting Rights Act!

JOHN iS GREAT...

On Edit... I had to edit this to at LEAST Spell his name right.. I admire the guy too much to not do that... sun or no sun on my screen!

[Twist_U_Up]

48. BONIFAZ FOR PRESIDENT

[demodonkey]

42. Jesse JAckson on now to introduce closing group;

The Vote is Alive... group of youth singers from Greenville South Carolina.

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around...

These kids sing!

[demodonkey]

43. Anybody here seen my old friend Martin...

Can you tell me where he's gone.
He freed a lot of people but it seems the good die young.
I looked around, he was gone.

Don't we EVER know that on this forum...

These kids are fabulous.. I am crying again.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

44. Just showed an ariel view on CNN - Wow! What a turn-out. Wonderful!

[YvonneCa]

50. Saw that, too...

out here in California! I'm jumping up and down clapping and VERY HAPPY ! A big crowd is a WIN. :patriot:

[AnotherMother4Peace]

52. A huge crowd! - reminds of of the Viet Nam war protests in D.C. & S.F.

[demodonkey]

45. Those kids were incredible... incoporated the I Have a Dream Speech

into the music... OMG... VERY POWERFUL.

Now James Brown Band is on... James is out of teh county but his Godson is filling in... Soul Power...

[FreedomAngel82]

46. Awesome!

I live about two hours away from Atlanta and wish I could've head down there for the rally. I'm sure it's awesome! Stevie Wonder: wow! I hope there are video's of this to be seen online! BradBlog's show looks pretty good tonight about voting rights and some really good interviews!

[Fly by night]

47. DD -- you kind and persistent soul you. Thanks for taking the heat ...

... for ALL of us today. Lordy, how I wish I could have been there. And I was planning to come (even had a spot reserved on an old transplanted New Mexican's rug there in Hot-lanta) but my 22 year old (360,000+ miles and counting -- barely) pick-um-truck just wouldn't make the trip.

But you were there for all of us and lady, I sure hope you stayed cool. Really, only mad-dogs and Englishmen stay out in our early August heat for long. Well, those species and some mad-as-hell small "d" democrats who are modeling for us today that we really do need to bear every burden (including north Georgia heat) to get this country back on track.

It is so good to have read (thanks to you, DD) how many speakers shouted out about the stolen elections of recent years.

YES, FOLKS, SHOUT IT OUT. SHOUT IT UNTIL THE GHOSTS OF LESTER MADDOX AND ROSS BARNETT AND GEORGE WALLACE AND THE KLAN WIZARDS AND THEIR "PROPER" FELLOW-TRAVELING WHITE CITIZENS COUNCIL MEMBERS MOVE OVER AND MAKE ROOM FOR THE VOTE STEALERS AND DEMOCRACY SODOMIZERS OF TODAY.

And sing soft and sweetly too, bow your heads in prayer and silent reflection, give thanks to the ghosts of Fannie Lou Hamer and Medger Evers and Cheney/Goodman/Schwerner and the legions of good women and men who stood up and said, "So, you say this is a democracy. Well then, prove it. I am an American and I deserve a free, fair and verifiable vote. Anything less doesn't resemble my country, and I won't surrender my vision for your nightmare."

Thanks, Marybeth, for doing this for all of us. Tell David and all the other merry Nash-vegas film mafia "Hi-dee" for me and tell them to come film our Gathering this Thursday afternoon and Friday morning at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church. Give Bob F. another appreciative hug for me and tell him we're ready to post the entire National Election Reform Conference on freepress and velvetrevolution -- one speaker at a time. And then find some shade, woman.

The thunder is rumbling outside my cabin door (thanks be for some much-needed rain). Or maybe I'm hearing your thunderous applause and seeing your lightening-bright smiles, these four hours north. Take care and post some final reflections from somewhere inside the air conditioning. And ya'll come back now, y'hear.

I'm so thankful to know you, DD.

[demodonkey]

49. Jesse just introduced Dick Gregory

DG: Thanking all the participants, the techies who set up the stage, Jesse, Rainbow/PUSH, etc.

While we were marching toda, there were soldiers out somewhere killing people so that they could get the right to vote that we don't have... but the people who marched down that street were the real soldiers and the world can see them march with no guns , no killing, just real people fighting for the real right to vote.

Introduced The Indigo Girls who are singing now...

Mark Halvorson is HERE!

[Fly by night]

53. Tell Mark "how-dee", slather some sunscreen on that Minnesotan...

... and both of you bask in the thanks that all of us still owe you and the others who represented us so well at the NASS convention in St. Paul. It was great to know you were there to counter John Fund(damentalist)'s nonsense, with a little internet help from those of us in the DU "on deck" bullpen.

Damn, now that there are Pennsylvanians, Ohioans and Minnesotans (who I know) sharing that hot field in Georgia, it makes this Tennessee backwoods boy that much sorrier not to be with you. You're where more real American history is being made, and none too soon. I hope Duh-bya is watching there in Crawford and someone with a modicum of intelligence is there with him to explain the ramifications of Blacks and Whites, Browns and Reds, young and old, su-th-nuhs and Yankees marching together again for truth, election justice and the real American way.

More smiles to you. Now it's time to go clean out a log cabin and drag some of that distant thunder (with its promise of righteous rain) a little closer to my pastures and garden. I caught the critter last night that had been raiding my Silver Queen corn out of my garden in a Hav-A-Heart trap.

Anyone up for some corn-fed possum?

[katinmn]

67. Hello to Mark! He's one of my Election Integrity-MN buddies!

Hello from Kat in St. Paul!

[demodonkey]

51. OK... we are about done here.. WHAT A DAY, WHAT A DAY!

Hope you enjoyed.. I will try to post some pictures later.

Jesse Jackson just introduced another Greenvolee SC group (he's beaming). They are going to take us out of here I think...

I didn't write about every presenter... there were great poets and performance artists, many mentions of Goodman, Cheney, and Schwerner (including by John Bonifaz, sorry John!)

This has been an INCREDIBLE day... a combination of Woodstock and January 6 in D.C. I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend...

Thanks to Rainbow/PUSH Atlanta for having this hotspot in the stadium so I could blog (my computer says its their network)

Am going to go chat with Mark and anybody else who is still around (never did find David but I will see him later this weekend I'm sure!)

Be sure to listen to Brad Show tonight DO NOT MISS Sam Walker of the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma... I met him when I was there and he has an amazing story (he was a kid in Selma at the time of the March). He is a great guide to the museum in Selma; it is very powerful to go there and see. So Brad -- if you see this -- good for you to have the Selma story on!

OK guys -- signing off for now unless something else earthsaking happens... love you all on DU -- take care --

Marybeth Kuznik
on the Ground (literally) in Herndon Stadium in Atlanta

[jillan]

55. You rock Mary Beth!

I have been checking in on you all morning.

Thank you for posting:hug:

[Fly by night]

56. Thanks kindly, nice lady. Gave us all smiles for the rest of this hot day.

[Individualist]

57. Thank you for your report, demodonkey

It's the next best thing to being there.

[Cookie wookie]

58. Thanks for the running thread.

I had to leave because of the heat, but I've put up a slide show at:
http://www.gaforverifiedvoting.org/keep_vote_alive/rally.htm

Anyone know if CSPAN is going to cover. I was hoping I could come home and see the rest on CSPAN but couldn't find it.

Jesse Jackson is on top of the election fraud issue and mentioned problems with electronic voting three times when he spoke before we marched today.

I think there must have been 20,000 people. Just look at the crowd in the photos.

[Individualist]

59. WSB says 100,000

An estimated 100,000 people from all over the U.S. jammed downtown Atlanta and marched with Rev. Jesse Jackson to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act -- and to urge Congress to renew the historic piece of legislation.

The march began about an hour late at the Russell Federal Building, partly because of the large number of dignitaries taking part in the event. Politicians from Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin to U.S. Reps. Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joined entertainers Harry Belafonte and Stevie Wonder and thousands of chanting and singing demonstrators for the "Keep The Vote Alive" event that streamed down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and wound up at Morris Brown College's Herndon Stadium for a rally.

Organizers hope the Congress and President Bush will extend key provisions of the landmark law, which was signed in 1965 by President Lyndon Johnson. The law expires in 2007. "Forty years later, we're still marching for the right to vote," said U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who participated in the civil rights struggles that helped secure passage of the law."Don't give up, don't give in. Keep the faith, keep your eyes on the prize."

At the raucous rally at Herndon Stadium, Jackson took the stage and energized supporters with his trademark quotes of "I am somebody" and "Keep hope alive.
"The right to vote does not endanger, but we must protect it against discrimination," Jackson said.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/4818177/detail.html

[Cookie wookie]

60. 100,000 WOW.

We couldn't tell except once the march got going it was almost impossible to even stop for a minute to take a photo because of the massive crowd moving forward. And this is in heat and humidity that were almost unbearable and certainly unrelenting.

What an experience!

[sunnystarr]

66. The pictures were awesome!!

A big thanks to DD and everyone who added something to the thread. You took me there with your words and pictures and I'm really grateful.

[katinmn]

68. Great pics! We've heard closer to 100,000!

[demodonkey]

61. OK Guys I am back to the Hotel...

Yikes I just looked at this thread... SORRY for all my typos and misspellings! Hope you got the spirit of the thing, even if the author's eyeballs were unable to see the errors.

It really was bright sun and almost impossible to see what I was doing on the computer screen even sitting on the grass with the computer under my "Lift Every Voice and Vote" sign... thanks for all of you bearing with me (heavens I even misspelled John Conyers' name!)

Mark and I stayed until just about the end. It actually spritzed rain at about the last song. Not bad just a few drops. VERY hot and humid here. Never did find David but hope to see him tonight.

Will try to post more later... sorry I missed you Cookie Wookie and anybody else who was there... we should have had a DU ERD Brigade in the March, LOL!

Well I sure blew it on the crowd estimate! We have heard from 50,000 to 100,000... whatever it was INCREDIBLE.

Now we gotta get all these folks to D.C. for January 6 Democracy Day!

Talk to yall later... Marybeth

[mom cat]

62. Thanks for bringing this to us!

[Cookie wookie]

65. we should have had a DU ERD Brigade in the March, LOL!

That would have been fun -- next time!

[emlev]

69. Thank you, thank you, DemoDonk!

Great to come home tonight to your thread. I'm glad you're there and showing it to those of us who can't be. Very moving and inspiring. I needed a little of that right now.

Sad thinking of Bill Moss not able to be there on the ground with you.

Peace.